Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Fast Forward

Despite (Or Because Of) Sex Assault Drama, ‘Bachelor In Paradise’ Breaks Rating Record

After months of unflattering publicity following allegations of sexual misconduct between two contestants, the slightly delayed premiere of “Bachelor in Paradise” finally arrived Monday.

In case you were worried about whether a sexual assault investigation would have a negative effect on the series, fear not. The episode scored its highest rating for a premiere in the show’s four0season run.

Both Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson were featured prominently in the episode, with their ill-fated pool scene prefaced by several apparently consensual make-out sessions. As promised, footage of the alleged assault was not aired, with producers instead showing only the aftermath of the incident.

In classic “Bachelor in Paradise” fashion, the episode ended on a cliffhanger, with Olympios and Jackson being ushered offset while cameramen began shutting off their cameras. The two-part premiere will continue tonight.

There appears to be no bad blood left between Olympios and the franchise. The reality star re-tweeted a picture of herself standing beside fellow contestant Amanda Stanton to hype the premiere.

Jackson also seems to have forgiven “Bachelor in Paradise,” although he doesn’t seem to be entirely devoid of bitterness over the situation.

I guess all publicity is good publicity…at least when it comes to reality television.

Becky Scott is the editor of The Schmooze. Follow her on Twitter, @arr_scott

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.