‘Bachelor In Paradise’ Contestants Corinne Olympios & DeMario Jackson Break Silence, Hire Lawyers – Update

UPDATE: Bachelor in Paradise’s DeMario Jackson, one of the contestants at the center of a scandal that shut down production on the show, has broken his silence. “It’s unfortunate that my character and family name has been assassinated this past week with false claims and malicious allegations,” Jackson said in a statement to E!. “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.”

PREVIOUS, 12:27 PM: Corinne Olympios, a participant in the now-shuttered season of ABC’s Bachelor in Paradise, has issued a statement saying she is “a victim” and has retained an attorney “to obtain justice” while “seeking therapy.”

That attorney is Hollywood legal heavyweight Marty Singer, an informed source tells Deadline.

Warner Bros., which produces the show, suspended production in Mexico after just a few day of shooting, due to what the studio called an  “allegation of misconduct” by a show participant.  The investigation was triggered when a producer on the show filed an internal complaint the day after an incident in which contestant DeMario Jackson and a “fellow contestant” reportedly engaging in a sexual act while they were “both intoxicated” ABC News reported Tuesday on Good Morning America. The “female contestant” allegedly was so inebriated she did not remember any of it the following day, ABC News added.

Warner Bros.  sent the cast home and the investigation was expected to take 1-2 weeks, effectively canceling this next season of the series, which had been set to debut on August 8.

Olympios’ statement:

“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.”

The investigation was triggered when a producer on the show filed an internal complaint the day after DeMario Jackson and a “fellow contestant” reportedly engaged in an “encounter” in the pool, while they were “both intoxicated” ABC News reported Tuesday on Good Morning America. The “female contestant” allegedly was so inebriated she did not remember any of it the following day, ABC News added.

Show host Chris Harrison issued a statement on Tuesday, saying “The safety and care of the cast and crew of our show is of the utmost importance to us. It is with this thought in mind that we made the decision to suspend filming.”

In its statement, Warner Bros. said: “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.”