‘Bachelor in Paradise’ production halted, show in question after alleged ‘misconduct’ on set

Production on “Bachelor in Paradise” – the popular spinoff of ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise – was shut down over the weekend after alleged “misconduct” on set, Warner Bros. has confirmed. E!, which broke the story, reported that an individual close to the program says the show is “totally done for this season and possibly forever.”

“Bachelor in Paradise,” which recently started filming its fourth season, features former “Bachelor” and “Bachelorette” contestants living together in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, as they “explore new relationships” in a “secluded and dreamy paradise,” as ABC describes it. The goal is basically to stir up as much drama and feature as many hookups as possible, as the producers tend to mix together villains, enemies and fan favorites from previous seasons.

It’s unclear exactly what happened to shutter production, but reports from TMZ and Entertainment Tonight point to an incident in the pool between contestants Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson. According to Los Angeles Times reporter Amy Kaufman, who is writing a book about “The Bachelor,” a producer filed a complaint after witnessing the incident. Production stopped and the entire cast was sent home, Entertainment Weekly reported.

ABC did not respond to questions about what occurred. On Sunday evening, Warner Bros. released a statement: “We have become aware of allegations of misconduct on the set of ‘Bachelor in Paradise’ in Mexico. We have suspended production, and we are conducting a thorough investigation of these allegations. Once the investigation is complete, we will take appropriate responsive action.”

Olympios is known as last season’s villain on “The Bachelor,” and she became famous for her immensely quotable lines and the fact that she was a 24-year-old with a nanny; she was one of the final four before she was eliminated by bachelor Nick Viall. Jackson made headlines two weeks ago on “The Bachelorette,” when a woman claiming to be his girlfriend showed up on set. After Jackson couldn’t come up with a solid explanation, bachelorette Rachel Lindsay sent him packing.

Last week, ABC announced that “Bachelor in Paradise” would premiere on Aug. 8.