Bachelor fans may not be getting their annual dose of fun in the sun post-Rachel Lindsay's Bachelorette season. News broke on June 11 that production on this season of Bachelor In Paradise has been suspended. The Hollywood Reporter quoted a statement from Warner Bros. announcing that the company would be investigating "allegations of misconduct" on the Mexico set. Is Bachelor In Paradise canceled for this year? There's no official word yet from either Warner Bros. or ABC on the fate of Season 4. 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: Warner Bros. does not go into specifics in the statement, keeping mum on exactly what they mean by "misconduct." It may seem like Bachelor In Paradise is a relatively lawless endeavor, but of course, it's a professional TV production and there are tons of rules and guidelines in place to keep people safe. It's not clear yet which of those rules were allegedly broken, but the severity of the reaction indicates something fairly big.
The 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."
For now, it seems that Bachelor In Paradise Season 4 is in limbo until the powers-that-be conclude their investigation and determine whether or not filming can go forward. If it does, it's reasonable to assume that the original Aug. 8 premiere date will be pushed forward. And "appropriate responsive action" is a vague term, which leaves the door open to all possible determinations, including possibly canceling the season.
Bachelor In Paradise Season 4 is up in the air for now, and we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
