Bachelor in Paradise Damage Control Only Makes the Show Look Worse
Warner Bros. will reportedly instate a two-drink maximum per hour, as DeMario Jackson tells his side of what happened on set in Mexico.
As Bachelor Nation continues to recover from the incident that halted Bachelor in Paradise filming in Mexico earlier this month, Warner Bros. has reportedly begun making changes to the show's production. Filming has resumed, following the conclusion of the studio's investigation into a drunken hook-up between Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson that raised questions of consent. The studio found that no misconduct had occurred based on reviewed footage, but still announced its intention "to implement certain changes to the show's policies and procedures to enhance and further ensure the safety and security of all participants." Now, it seems we know what one of those changes is: contestants will now reportedly be limited to two drinks per hour. But will that be enough to lift the cloud that has settled over this season, and the franchise more broadly?
According to TMZ, the Bachelor in Paradise crew and on-set bartenders will now be responsible for holding contestants to a drinking limit. (We've reached out to Warner Bros. to confirm this change, and any others that might be underway on the series.) Bachelor in Paradise has always been rowdier than The Bachelor or The Bachelorette, and the alcohol always seems to flow a little more freely on this series than its progenitors. Now, however, it seems the show is committed to running a slightly tighter ship.
But is this limit enough? Considering contestants are reportedly encouraged to drink all day, two drinks per hour still seems like a recipe for debauchery once the sun starts setting—and as Jackson opened up to E! News on Monday about his recollections from the night he and Olympios hooked up, it was yet another reminder of just how easily a fun night can turn into a nightmare for everyone involved.
"Our first real conversation was at the bar," Jackson told E! News of his first meeting with Olympios. "We were hanging out. We kind of were just complimenting each other on being villains. I was like, 'Look, I've accepted this role.' We were kind of just laughing, like, 'Oh, we're about to dominate Paradise!' Like homie stuff, like really, really like friends. And then, you know, we started having a little bit more fun . . . and had a few drinks."
From there, it's the same story that has played out in tabloids for weeks. According to Jackson, Olympios was "the aggressor." In her own statement on the incident, Olympios said she has "little memory of that night," adding, "As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality." Truthfully, only those who were present for the incident, and those who saw the footage during Warner's investigation, may know how lucid either party was at the time. But either way, while some doubt that this will tarnish the franchise for good, it seems undeniable that the show's identity—contestants getting a little rowdy in pursuit of love—looks a little more sinister in light of both the incident and its continued aftermath.
After stating that it had found no misconduct, Warner said that "the safety, security and well-being of the cast and crew is our number one concern." But as Olympios picks up the pieces from a night she can barely remember, and Jackson tearfully describes what it's like to watch his mother cry every day, it's hard to understand how anyone can watch this season of Bachelor in Paradise in good conscience—even if the show is doing what it can to try to move beyond that fateful night. And the more the franchise tries to alleviate the situation, with new drinking limits and an ample supply of food to presumably soak up the alcohol, the more attention it draws to the rotten truth at its core.
Yes, some contestants have successfully formed relationships on the show—but the nightmare that has unfolded between Olympios and Jackson is no fluke. Drunken hook-ups are built into the show's DNA—and a two-drink-per-hour maximum won't change the hazy boundaries of consent that might arise when two people collide after a long day of drinking in the sweltering heat. As with most things, we're guessing the show's future will be left up to this season's ratings—something for viewers to think about as they weigh whether to tune in later this summer.