Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelorette alum DeMario Jackson is ready to clear his name. The 35-year-old former reality star is speaking out in a new statement issued exclusively to ET, responding to accusations of sexual assault by two women.
"Four years ago, I, DeMario Jackson, walked directly into the Los Angeles police station after being falsely accused of raping two white women without a lawyer present and the police let me freely leave," Jackson begins his statement.
"Here is why: My arriving and departing Uber receipts proved when, where and the time I was with these women and the truth is my receipts proved I was completely out of the vicinity," he continues. "In addition to that, I provided screenshots of text message communication the day after they filed police reports."
"The authorities looked at all my evidence and let me, a six foot, four inches tall Black man leave that precinct without a doubt because I did no wrong. I am innocent, I did not hurt or harm those women," he writes. "Last week, my name was smeared beyond measure. I am formally starting the process to clear my name. The criminal case (District Attorney cleared me) is about my freedom and the civil case is about my money. I will defend myself. Thank you all for the love and support."
In a court document obtained by ET last week, the plaintiffs — who are referred to as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 — claim to have met Jackson online and are now suing for sexual battery, false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. They are seeking an unspecified amount of damages.
In a complaint filed Sept. 20 in Los Angeles, Jane Doe 1, a 25-year-old Pittsburgh native, claims that she met Jackson on a dating app and that the two went out on a date in downtown Los Angeles. At the end of the evening, she claims that Jackson grabbed and kissed her before he allegedly "exposed" himself.
"Jane Doe 1 was shocked and felt trapped," the complaint states, noting that she allegedly told Jackson "his behavior was unacceptable." Jackson allegedly apologized, and the two allegedly went on more dates.
After another alleged date, Jane Doe 1 claims that — despite repeatedly saying that she did not consent — Jackson "forcefully sexually assaulted her" while he was allegedly intoxicated. She claims that she went to a local hospital for a rape kit the following morning.
Jane Doe 2, a 28-year-old from Cleveland, claims that she began chatting with Jackson on social media and that he invited her to a private date in his home so that he wouldn't be recognized out in public. The filing states that during the course of their alleged date, Jane Doe 2 refused Jackson's alleged attempts to have sex with her before he allegedly "forced himself onto Plaintiff despite her demands to stop."
The filing alleges that Jackson later confessed to committing "an unconsented" act against her.
The allegations come five years after a report of sexual misconduct between Jackson and Corinne Olympios temporarily halted production on Bachelor in Paradise while Warner Bros. investigated the alleged encounter. Nine days later, the studio announced that they hadn't found any evidence of misconduct, and season 4 would resume production without Olympios or Jackson (though they later appeared on the reunion show).
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