'Bachelor In Paradise' May Have A New Alcohol Policy Going Forward

Although the truth behind what shut down production on Bachelor in Paradise Season 4 is still unknown, the consequences of the incident continue to develop. According to TMZ, Bachelor in Paradise has new drinking rules on set, and contestants allegedly cannot consume more than two drinks per hour to avoid potential incidents in the future. The report claimED that bartenders and crew members will be monitoring drinking activity, that there will consistently be food on set, and that 2017 cast members were part of multiple discussions on drinking. (Bustle has reached out to Warner Bros. for comment on the latest report.) However, even with all of the uncertainties surrounding the original incident, if some of the allegations about the alleged incident that stopped Season 4's filming are true, there may be other steps needed.

In early June, news broke that an investigation was being launched after a producer filed a third-party complaint about "misconduct" on the set between contestants Demario Jackson and Corinne Olympios. People reported that Olympios was allegedly incoherent and unable to give consent during a supposed sexual interaction with Jackson. Olympios hired a team of lawyers to get to the bottom of what happened and claimed in a statement that, "I am a victim." Jackson repeatedly denied that Olympios was too drunk to consent, as she and many reports claimed, and on Monday, when Jackson recalled the incident to E! in detail, he claimed that Olympios was not only coherent, but that she was the "aggressor," and production had to cut her off from alcohol the following day. Last week, Warner Bros. concluded an internal investigation into the allegations and ruled that there was no misconduct and that the show would continue as planned. (Olympios' lawyer released a statement to Bustle at the time which stated that her team will continue to investigate the situation by obtaining witness statements.)

Different sides of the story will continue to surface, but it's obvious that regulating alcohol consumption will only go so far. Regardless of who is telling the truth amid all the allegations, consent education is something that the cast, crew, and audience could certainly benefit from. On a show that involves a romantic resort, little clothing, hooking up, and alcohol, clarifying consent is incredibly important, for everyone involved. Eliminating the idea of a grey area and establishing the need for an "enthusiastic yes" before sexual activity would work well with alcohol limits to ensure safety.

The encounter between Jackson and Olympios was filmed and, according to some claims it was a single producer who allegedly raised concerns about the alleged misconduct. While Warner Bros. maintains that there was no consent issue in this particular instance, establishing clearer lines and educating producers on when to step in to ensure the safety of the contestants can only help the team provide a safe environment for contestants.

That said, reducing the amount of alcohol that contestants can consume is definitely a great start.