Embattled “Bachelor in Paradise” contestant DeMario Jackson has found an unlikely supporter: the ex-girlfriend who exposed him as a liar on national TV.
Jackson faces allegations that he engaged in nonconsensual sexual acts with fellow contestant Corinne Olympios during filming of ABC’s “Bachelor” spinoff in Mexico. Both parties released conflicting statements this week about the evening in question, and now Jackson’s former flame, Lexi Thexton, is weighing in.
In a video statement released via TMZ, Thexton claims that Jackson wouldn’t take advantage of someone who’s unconscious, as some reports have described Olympios, despite labeling him a “30-year-old man-child and a “shitty guy.”
Thexton previously made a surprise appearance on the current season of “The Bachelorette,” where Jackson had been competing for affection of Rachel Lindsay. In a dramatic confrontation, Thexton revealed that she and Jackson had dated right before the show, prompting Lindsay to swiftly boot him from the competition.
“I was not at all shocked that he got wasted and got involved in some drama, but it doesn’t sound to me like he was predatory or like an aggressor,” Thexton said. “It sounds like the situation got messy.”
After a producer reportedly filed a complaint about the incident, production on the upcoming season of “Bachelor in Paradise” was temporarily shut down to allow for an official investigation.
Olympios has since tapped top Hollywood attorney Marty Singer as her legal counsel and, in a statement released earlier this week, she told a story very different from Thexton’s, describing herself as a victim.
“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,” Olympios’ statement read. “As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality.”
Jackson maintains that the incident was consensual, and believes he’s now the victim of character assassination.
Watch Thexton confront Jackson on “The Bachelorette” below.
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