DeMario Jackson on Race Issue in 'Bachelor in Paradise' Scandal: I Was Immediately Called a 'Rapist'
DeMario Jackson is disheartened by the reactions he received after news broke that he and fellow Bachelor in Paradise contestant Corinne Olympios were involved in an incident that temporarily suspended filming on the reality show.
The 30-year-old reality star opened up about the aftermath of the scandal in a recent sit-down interview with E! News, and said race was definitely a factor.
"The minute you release this black man's face and this white girl's face, before either of us commented on it, I was already, like, a ‘rapist,' and a -- excuse my French -- a '*ni****' and a 'monkey,'" Jackson said. "[Olympios was called] a 'whore' and 'she's a slut,' and they were slut-shaming her because of what she did last season with Nick [Viall]."
"For me, it goes back to the human race -- we failed," he continued.
Production was halted on Bachelor in Paradise season four when a producer became uncomfortable during filming and filed a complaint. Warner Bros. said in a statement last week that the tapes do "not support any charge of misconduct" by a cast member. Neither Olympios or Jackson has filed a complaint at this time, but both have hired lawyers.
In the interview, Jackson told his side of the story when it comes to the incident involving him and 24-year-old Olympios. Jackson said the two first bonded over their "villain" status in the franchise, then started "making out" at the bar after having a few drinks. He then claimed Olympios urged them to go to the pool, and called her the "aggressor" during their encounter.
"[We were] kissing, rubbing, touching. It's nothing too sexual yet," he said. "Things got wild because it was more her being the aggressor, which was sexy...When you have a very attractive girl telling you what she wants, it's like a very, like, 'Wow, OK! This is hot. This is very...I like it.'"
Jackson claimed he made sure cameras were there the entire time.
"It's crazy because when you're a man -- mostly African American man -- no matter where you're at, you always look for things that can help you out," Jackson said. "And at that moment, I made sure the cameras followed us. It just seemed too perfect in a sense for me, and at the point, that's when my spidey senses got up."
Jackson said the two hugged and ate breakfast with the rest of the cast the next morning. However, three days later, he claimed a producer urged him to quit the show.
"He goes, 'Here's what I'm gonna need you to do: I'm going to need you to bow out. Tell [Chris Harrison] and the crew you that you love them, you're thankful. However, you know you're not there for the right reasons,'" Jackson said. "I'm like, what the f**k? Straight up. He goes, 'I can't tell you what I know, but it's going to be bad if you don't leave tonight.'"
Olympios' lawyer, Marty Singer, said last week that they're continuing on with their own separate investigation into the incident.
"It comes as no surprise that Warner Bros., as a result of its own internal investigation, would state that no wrongdoing had occurred," Singer said in a statement to ET. "Our own investigation will continue based on multiple new witnesses coming forward revealing what they saw and heard."
In a previous statement, Olympios said she was seeking therapy after the incident.
"As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality," Olympios' statement read. "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."
WATCH: What's Next for 'Bachelor in Paradise' Post-Scandal -- Everything We Know
Bachelor in Paradise season four has now resumed filming in the same location in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. A source close to Jackson previously told ET that he will not be back on the show this season, and that he's also seeing a therapist.
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