THE LEGAL WAR THAT CAN END THE SHOW
The Bachelor in Paradise scandal is far from over. Corinne Olympios has lawyered up with powerhouse Hollywood attorney Marty Singer, a clear sign that she’s gearing up to sue ABC and/or the production company that produces the show. In a statement to In Touch, Corinne, 25, claims that on June 4, she endured “physical and emotional trauma” during a drunken sexual encounter with fellow cast member Demario Jackson — while BIP cameras continued to roll. (Two producers filed complaints alleging misconduct, halting production on the hit ABC show. Demario denies he did anything wrong.) “Although I have little memory of that night, something bad obviously happened,” says Corinne. “I have retained a group of professionals… to obtain justice.” She might get it — and the outcome could end the show forever. A source close to the situation tells In Touch exclusively, “If the production team sees someone incapacitated, they need to shut things down.” They didn’t — even though, says the source, Corinne was so incapacitated she didn’t know what happened to her until she was told about it much later. “The producers were talking on walkie-talkies and it was obvious she was in distress but they let it continue.” According to two legal experts (who are not involved in the case), Corinne has a good case against the network. “The way I understand it is that producers were filming the interaction and Corinne was too drunk to consent. Not only is there civil liability, but there may be potential criminal liability here,” Connecticut-based civil litigation attorney Ann Halan Brickley tells In Touch, adding that although Corinne reportedly signed a contract waiving her right to sue producers over claims of negligence or personal injury, Brickley believes the reality star still has a case. “You can’t waive gross negligence.” La-based family law attorney Goldie Schon says, “It doesn’t matter how airtight the contract was — ABC has a duty to step in and make it stop.”