Entertainment

'Bachelor In Paradise' Season 4 Hits A Major Snag

ABC

The cast of Bachelor In Paradise Season 4 was recently announced, getting fans hyped to see their favorite and not-so-favorite Bachelor contestants hit the beach and the bar. But according to The Hollywood Reporter, Warner Bros. released a statement that production of Bachelor In Paradise has been suspended due to "allegations of misconduct." What does that mean for the show's release date? Well, it's unclear so far, but there's certainly a chance that the new season may be delayed by these allegations. Bustle has reached out to ABC for comment.

UPDATE: In a video posted by TMZ, Jackson says "no comment" in response to numerous questions about the alleged incident. Asked if he's upset about reports alleging that Olympios claims she did not give consent, Jackson responded, ""No, no. I'm all good."

UPDATE #2: On Wednesday, June 14, Corinne Olympios' rep released a statement about the Bachelor In Paradise allegations to Bustle:

“I am a victim and have spent the last week trying to make sense of what happened on June 4. Although I have little memory of that night, something bad obviously took place, which I understand is why production on the show has now been suspended and a producer on the show has filed a complaint against the production. As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality. As I pursue the details and facts surrounding that night and the immediate days after, I have retained a group of professionals to ensure that what happened on June 4 comes to light and I can continue my life, including hiring an attorney to obtain justice and seeking therapy to begin dealing with the physical and emotional trauma stemming from that evening.”

UPDATE #3: On the evening of Wednesday, June 14, Jackson released a statement about Olympios' allegations to E! News:

"It's unfortunate that my character and family name has been assassinated this past week with false claims and malicious allegations. I will be taking swift and appropriate legal action until my name is cleared and, per the advice of legal counsel, will be seeking all available remedies entitled to me under the laws."

UPDATE #4: On June 20, an ABC spokesperson provided the following statement to Bustle:

“We appreciate the swift and complete investigation by Warner Bros. into allegations of misconduct on the set of ‘Bachelor in Paradise.’ Given their results, the series will resume production, and will air this summer on ABC.”

UPDATE #5: After the results of the investigation were announced, Corinne's lawyer Martin Singer released this statement to Bustle: (Bustle reached out to Warner Brothers about this new statement but has not yet received a reply.)

“It needs to be made crystal clear that production of Bachelor in Paradise was shut down because of multiple complaints received from BIP producers and crew members on the set. It was not shut down due to any complaint filed by Corinne against anyone.
It comes as no surprise that Warner Bros., as a result of its own internal investigation, would state that no wrong doing had occurred. Our own investigation will continue based on multiple new witnesses coming forward revealing what they saw and heard.”

EARLIER: The statement is vague about what exactly may have been going down on the Mexico set of Bachelor In Paradise and which contestants — if any — are involved. No doubt the shocking news will get the rumor mill humming, however. There's nothing Bachelor series fans love more than speculating about what's happening behind the scenes. The June 11 Warner Bros. statement reads:

"We have become aware of allegations of misconduct on the set of Bachelor in Paradise in Mexico. We have suspended production and we are conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations. Once the investigation is complete, we will take appropriate responsive action.”

The production company is promising a "thorough investigation," which hints that they were made aware of something pretty serious. The delay could upset the delicate cycle of Bachelor to Bachelorette to Bachelor In Paradise seasons. And it has to be assumed that "appropriate responsive action" could include shutting down this season entirely, should circumstances warrant that level of intervention. For now, however, this appears to be a suspension, not a cancellation, with more information hopefully to come.

The Bachelor In Paradise Season 4 cast was set to include Demario Jackson, Raven Gates, Robby Hayes, and Corinne Olympios, among several other Bachelor/ette alums. It was originally set to premiere on Aug. 8.