Reality television is generally a reliable source of drama on the small screen, and the Bachelor franchise on ABC always provides. This summer, however, a great deal of drama was stemming from the new season of Bachelor in Paradise before it even hit the airwaves. Shortly after filming began, contestants Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson were spotted in the hot tub, and some on the production team were under the impression that Jackson sexually assaulted Olympios while she was passed out. Production was halted, and the premiere date for Season 4 was pushed back. A commercial for the new season that made light of the delayed premiere aired, but was ultimately pulled from TV by ABC.
ABC Entertainment President Channing Dungey spoke out about why the decision was made to take the commercial off of television, saying this:
We would never look for a way to sensationalize it. Bachelor nation is very engaged so there is nothing happening in the universe they are not up to speed with. The promo in question was comprised of a bunch of tweets from people who were experiencing disappointment. We thought it was cheeky and funny and in line with the show. Response told us otherwise and we pulled it.
While the intended spirit of the ad -- which declared that "summer was almost ruined" and "paradise was almost lost" -- was to give a nod to fans who were concerned that the show would never be back, some viewers clearly interpreted the message as blaming an investigation into sexual assault for a TV inconvenience. Channing Dungey's comments (courtesy of EW) indicate that ABC definitely didn't intend to ruffle any feathers. If some people were uncomfortable with what the ad seemed to unintentionally imply, the safe thing to do was to pull it.
The negative Bachelor in Paradise buzz started back in June, when news broke that production on the show in Mexico had been suspended due to allegations of sexual misconduct following an encounter between DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios. Although Olympios didn't have memories of what happened, she began exploring her legal options once she learned what had been alleged against Jackson. An investigation took place that determined the allegations were ultimately unfounded and the hot tub incident wasn't what it looked like to the producer who filed a complaint. Production began again with a big change that would hopefully guarantee that nothing like the Corinne Olympios/DeMario Jackson situation ever arises on Bachelor in Paradise ever again.
Channing Dungey revealed how the allegations affected the grand scheme of Bachelor in Paradise production:
It's good when something like this happens. It's a wake-up call to make sure we have a process in place.
It's definitely a good thing that the Corinne Olympios/DeMario Jackson incident was a false alarm that pointed to changes that needed to be made. Hopefully Bachelor in Paradise is a safer and more controlled environment for the contestants in the future. In case you missed the promo that caused enough outcry for ABC to pull it from television, check it out here:
Season 4 of Bachelor in Paradise will premiere on Monday, August 14 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For your other viewing options now and in the coming weeks, swing by our summer TV guide and our fall premiere schedule.
