UPDATE
The Warner Bros. investigation turned up no misconduct, and production on the show was set to resume. Bachelor in Paradise will air on ABC later this summer, the network announced June 20.
News broke on Sunday that ABC's Bachelor in Paradise was shut down due to a reported incident of sexual misconduct between contestants DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios. A Daily Mail story on Tuesday said that it was being treated as a criminal investigation, but a source close to production said that was false.
Good Morning America reported the news of the production shutdown on Tuesday morning, and included an exclusive statement from Bachelor in Paradise host Chris Harrison.
Harrison wanted to clear up "misinformation," he wrote. Without specifics, he refuted reports that the crew had been negligent.
Harrison confirmed that Warner Bros. is conducting the investigation into the alleged misconduct. But he rebutted the assumption that the show — which sent all of its contestants home from Mexico on Sunday — is canceled for the season. It is scheduled to premiere on Aug. 8.
Contacted about the season's fate by BuzzFeed News, a representative of ABC said that the investigation needs to be completed before the network can make a decision.
Here is Harrison's statement in full:
By now no doubt you have heard that we have suspended production on this season's Bachelor in Paradise. I can confirm to you that this is sadly the case. Out of respect to all involved, there's only so much I can and will say at this time. Normally with a situation like this I would not say anything until the incident is fully resolved, but with all the rumors and misinformation being put out there I don't find that to be possible anymore.
Let me start by saying the safety and care of the cast and crew of our show is of the utmost importance to us. It is with this thought in mind that we made the decision to suspend filming. An investigation into the situation was started immediately. Warner Bros. is handling the details of that investigation. They're moving quickly to gather all the facts, and once that's done a clear concise decision can be made about where we go from here.
There are a lot of competing details in the various press accounts of the incident. And there’s a lot of misinformation out there too. We urge everyone to be patient until the investigation is complete.
I know in this day and age we want and even expect immediate answers but in this case it's just not possible. So again I urge you to please be patient and respect the privacy of the parties involved. I will keep you as informed and up to date as I possibly can. We’re sorry for any inconvenience and disappointment this may have caused the cast, the crew and our loyal
fans. It is my sincere hope that we can come to a quick resolution on this and get back to work very soon.
Thank you,
Chris Harrison