Corinne Olympios returned to Bachelor in Paradise for the first time since this summer’s controversy during Tuesday night’s episode. The former contestant sat down for an interview with host Chris Harrison to publicly address the circumstances surrounding her encounter with castmate DeMario Jackson that led to misconduct allegations. ABC halted production after a producer for the Bachelor spinoff filed a complaint, and Warner Bros. conducted an internal investigation that declared no wrongdoing occurred. Olympios, who has previously stated that she blacked out due to a mixture of alcohol and medication (“It was like I went under anesthesia”), told Harrison that she did not blame the production or Jackson for not knowing her mental state. “It can look like you’re totally present and totally there, and your mind can just be not anywhere near,” she said of the alcohol-and-drug combo. “It impairs your judgment. It completely unbalances you, it’s just crazy.”
Harrison also asked Olympios about her statement released soon after the incident, in which she called herself a victim. At that time she wrote, “Although I have little memory of that night, something bad obviously took place, which I understand is why production on the show has now been suspended.” She, however, now claims that she only wanted answers and that she was more a victim of circumstance. (Her team investigated the matter independently and decided not to pursue any further legal action.) “I don’t blame DeMario,” Olympios said. “I never pointed fingers at DeMario.”