While Warner Bros. has yet to elaborate on the “misconduct” that shut down this season of Bachelor spin-off, Bachelor In Paradise, multiple media sources have since alleged that the offending incident involves two contestants engaging in sexual acts on the first day of filming, while the female contestant was too intoxicated to give her consent. Following a complaint reportedly filed by a producer to the studio, production on the show was halted and all cast members sent home, with the possibility of the entire season being scrapped amid Warner Bros.’ internal investigation.
“The show absolutely values the primacy of consent, and in this instance it appears as though conduct allegedly occurred without the proper consent having been given,” a source on the series told People, which also anonymously quotes another cast member who says the other contestants are angry that more wasn’t done to stop the encounter from proceeding. “They could have seen that she was drinking too much and that he was taking advantage,” the contestant said. “They could have stopped this before it got this far. But they decided to let it go, and let it happen, and see what happened? So, I’m angry at the show, and everyone else is too.”
Amid these allegations, host Chris Harrison has released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter asking for patience and cautioning against the proliferation of “rumors and misinformation”:
“By now, no doubt, you have heard that we have suspended production on this season’s Bachelor In Paradise. I can confirm to you that this is sadly the case. Out of respect to all involved, there’s only so much I can and will say at this time. Normally with a situation like this I would not say anything until the incident is fully resolved, but with all the rumors and misinformation being put out there, I don’t find that to be possible anymore.
Let me start by 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. An investigation into the situation was started immediately. Warner Bros. is handling the details of that investigation. They’re moving quickly to gather all the facts, and once that’s done a clear concise decision can be made about where we go from here. There are a lot of competing details in the various press accounts of the incident. And there’s a lot of misinformation out there, too. We urge everyone to be patient until the investigation is complete.
I know in this day and age we want and even expect immediate answers, but in this case it’s just not possible. So again I urge you to please be patient and respect the privacy of the parties involved. I will keep you as informed and up-to-date as I possibly can. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and disappointment this may have caused the cast, the crew and our loyal fans. It is my sincere hope that we can come to a quick resolution on this and get back to work very soon.”
While there’s been no official word on whether the show will resume filming, it seems unlikely at this point.