EXCLUSIVE: Corinne Olympios Clarifies Her Relationship With DeMario Jackson

"Damned if we do, damned if we don't."

That's how former Bachelor in Paradise star Corinne Olympios feels about the way she and DeMario Jackson's relationship is perceived. The two were at the center of the highly publicized Bachelor in Paradise shutdown over the summer, and since then have been followed regularly by paparazzi.

Now, she's setting the record straight after photos of her and Jackson holding hands at Disneyland came to light on Tuesday morning.

Olympios tells ET exclusively, "DeMario and I are close friends. We are not dating. We were hanging out with a group at Disneyland, and I have no problem holding hands with any of my friends. Since things with Bachelor in Paradise wound down, DeMario and I talk almost every day. We both know neither of us made the complaint that started everything, so why wouldn't we be friends? We've been able to move forward and he's like a brother to me."

EXCLUSIVE: Corinne Olympios Reveals Who Will Star On Her Upcoming Reality Show

The Florida native is now splitting her time between Miami and Los Angeles, focusing on developing two TV shows and working on her fashion line. She's ready for paparazzi to give her space so she can move forward with her life after the BIP shutdown. Olympios says the photos of her and Jackson at Disneyland were cropped and specifically selected to make the outing look far more intimate than it was. "We get criticized if we aren't friends, and criticized if we are," she says.

At a charity event earlier this month, Olympios told ET that she and Jackson had dinner in private after the BIP finale aired to talk things out. "We wanted to talk over dinner in detail about things that were not able to be said ... [It was] really good," she said. "It was really relieving." 

Watch the video below to find out more about how Olympios and Jackson first met up to talk things out after the scandal, and for more details on Olympios' upcoming projects!