On the heels of ABC’s confirmation that Bachelor in Paradise would address the summer controversy right off the bat, the official trailer for the fourth season provided viewers with a sneak peek at what that promise will look like during Monday’s Bachelorette finale.
The season preview of the Bachelor spinoff dating series dropped during Rachel Lindsay’s After the Final Rose special. Only seven days remain before Bachelor and Bachelorette castoffs will compete for love in Sayulita, Mexico, in a two-part premiere Aug. 14 and 15 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
ABC previously confirmed that the on-set controversy that took place while filming would be addressed during the season’s two-night premiere, and the official preview showed behind-the-scenes footage of producers halting filming, as well as the beginnings of the encounter between the two contestants that sparked an on-set investigation during the early days on set.
Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson, the contestants at the center of the internal investigation, were shown together in the resort’s pool “30 minutes into Paradise,” according to another contestant. Footage then shows an ABC producer interrupting the cast after the fact, telling the camera, “Cut it. Cut it,” and asking Olympios separately, “Can I steal you for a minute?”
Contestant Danielle Maltby described the scene: “The whole cast was just shocked and confused. Are Corinne and DeMario OK? All we know is that we aren’t filming.”
The trailer then cuts to when the cast returned to filming, detailing the drama and romance that subsequently ensues during a season that host Chris Harrison is heard describing as “bigger, better and wetter than ever before.” A previous release from ABC confirmed that the cast will sit down with Harrison to address the incident and the near two weeks they spent away from set during the Aug. 15 episode.
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The fourth season was initially set to bow Aug. 8, but filming was temporarily suspended after a producer filed a misconduct allegation over a sexual encounter between Olympios and Jackson, who had both been drinking. Filming resumed after Warner Bros. Television, the producers of the ABC franchise, concluded that no misconduct took place, but Jackson and Olympios did not return to the set. They will, however, appear on the cast reunion that is set to air at the end of the season and were shown in the official cast photo.
The show has been heavily leaning into the production shutdown in its marketing strategy. Harrison has been playing up how “controversial” season four will be, referencing “the gossip” surrounding it and offering another cryptic tease moments before the trailer’s debut: “The show that almost didn’t happen is back and very much alive.” Paradise‘s social media accounts have followed suit, tweeting, “Paradise is back!… The words we all longed to hear.”
The season-four preview hints at many more overtly sexual moments on set, including potentially a sex tape.
Harrison told The Hollywood Reporter in July that when Paradise resumed filming producers implemented “some changes,” but that most will not translate to TV.
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The season will also feature the wedding of Bachelor in Paradise season-three couple Carly Waddell and Evan Bass. Bass, whose wedding to Waddell was filmed at the resort during the suspension, had written a column for THR asking ABC not to cancel the series while the Paradise season was in flux amid the internal investigation.
It had previously been reported that former Bachelorette and Paradise contestant Wells Adams will take over as bartender this season, and he was shown in the trailer along with several previously unannounced faces. Other Bachelor franchise alums include five of Lindsay’s ex-boyfriends: Kenneth “Diggy” Moreland, Matt Munson, Iggy Rodriguez, Jack Stone and Dean Unglert.
A full list of the Bachelor stars returning to find love is listed below, but additional reality stars will join them midseason. The cast of BIP shuffles each week, as a handful of contestants join the dating competition midway to shake up relationships. Unfortunately for them, some arrive to the beachfront property several weeks into the show, after a decent number of couples have formed and are well on their way to a TV proposal.
Contestants from Rachel Lindsay’s season of The Bachelorette:
DeMario Jackson
Kenneth “Diggy” Moreland
Matt Munson
Iggy Rodriguez
Jack Stone
Dean Unglert
Contestants from Nick Viall’s season of The Bachelor:
Raven Gates
Corinne Olympios
Alexis Waters
Kristina Schulman
Danielle Maltby
Jasmine Goode
Lacey Mark
Taylor Nolan
Contestants from JoJo Fletcher’s season of The Bachelorette:
Derek Peth
Nick “St. Nick” Benvenutti
Robby Hayes
Alex Woytkiw
Vinny Ventiera
Contestant from Ben Higgins’ season of The Bachelor:
Amanda Stanton
Contestant from Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette:
Ben Zorn
