‘Bachelor In Paradise’: ABC Boss Explains Why Network Pulled ‘Cheeky’ Promo

Bachelor in Paradise Season 4 hasn’t even aired yet and already the show has caused major controversy. Now, ABC Entertainment president Channing Dungey tells reporters at the Television Critics Association panel that a promo for the show that was recently pulled was not meant to exploit the alleged drunken “incident” that occurred between Bachelor in Paradise cast mates Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson.

According to USA Today, Dungey also revealed that an investigation into the incident, which temporarily shut down production of Bachelor in Paradise in Mexico, concluded that “no wrongdoing” occurred, but that the charges “brought to light some safety issues that we want to be on top of.”

Dungey explained that a promo for Bachelor in Paradise that included social media reaction to the shut down wasn’t mean to exploit the incident that occurred between Olympios and Jackson. The ABC president pointed out that the ad didn’t specify the alleged “incident.”

Indeed, while the incident between Olympios and DeMario Jackson is not directly mentioned in the promo, the short ad features tweets from BIP fans expressing disappointment that production of the show was shut down amid the scandal. The promo then segues to a series of happy tweets from fans once it was announced that production of the show would resume.

“It comprised a series of tweets from people who were sad it wasn’t going to be on, and then glad it was,” Dungey explained of the promo.

“We thought it was cheeky and in keeping in nature of the show, and it was not, so we pulled it.”

You can see the questionable Bachelor in Paradise ad below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBYtiPvizpw

While Dungey reiterated that Bachelor In Paradise producers were never looking for a way to sensationalize the scandal, ABC has made it clear that the “incident” will be addressed this season on the ABC reality show.

“Promos are very different from the show,” Dungey said.

“I would not say that we are planning on handling it in a cheeky way, I think we are handling it in a respectful way.”

In June, Warner Bros. announced that production on Bachelor in Paradise had been stopped following a producer’s allegations of misconduct between cast members Olympios and Jackson. After an investigation, Warner Bros. and ABC announced the show had been cleared of any wrongdoing, and the cast returned to Mexico to resume filming, albeit under more stringent safety rules such as a reported two-drink maximum—per hour.

DeMario and Jackson did not return to Mexico but will appear in an upcoming Bachelor in Paradise special.

You can see the second Bachelor in Paradise promo below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylut1KVciKo

Bachelor in Paradise Season 4 premieres Monday, Aug. 14 on ABC.

[Featured Image by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Images]