Bachelorette star DeMario Jackson accused of sexually assaulting 2 women

DeMario Jackson
(Image credit: Paul Hebert via Getty Images)

DeMario Jackson, a former contestant on The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise who was accused of on-set sexual misconduct in 2017, is reportedly being sued for sexual assault by two women.

In court documents, an anonymous woman who says she met Jackson through a dating app alleged he pinned her to a bed and sexually assaulted her in 2018, TMZ reports. He "forcefully sexually assaulted Jane Doe 1 by violently shoving his unprotected penis into her unlubricated vagina," the complaint says, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The other woman, also anonymous, reportedly alleges Jackson "forced himself onto" her in 2020 "despite her demands to stop," per People. According to the Los Angeles Times, both women reported the alleged assaults to UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center's Rape Treatment Center, but the Los Angeles district attorney's office decline to bring charges against Jackson.

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The women are also suing Jackson for false imprisonment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and they're seeking damages, per TMZ.

Jackson's lawyer told the Los Angeles Times that "the allegations brought against him are completely unfounded," adding that "the police, who DeMario fully cooperated with over 3 years ago, found these women's accusations to have no merit and then refused to pursue the matter."

Jackson was a contestant on The Bachelorette in 2017 and returned for a season of Bachelor in Paradise. Production on the latter show was suspended after Jackson was accused of having a sexual encounter with a woman who was possibly too drunk to consent. Following a misconduct investigation, Warner Bros. said videotape did "not support any charge of misconduct by a cast member."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.