The third and final instalment of DeMario Jackson's post-Bachelor in Paradise interview with E! is out — and it doesn't pull any punches.
The reality TV star was cleared of misconduct by an internal Warner Bros. investigation into a sexual encounter between him and BiP costar Corinne Olympios, but the scandal and its fallout clearly still stings.
"I got played...not by [Olympios] but I got played in general," Jackson told E! News. "I am not sure by who, but I got played."
The 30-year-old added that he wasn't "mad" at Olympios, whose lawyer is still pursuing an independent investigation. He also noted that the controversy had negative consequences for her, referencing online attacks viewers made about Olympios' sexual behavior.
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"Before either of us commented on it, I was already a 'rapist'...and she's a 'whore' and she's a 'slut,'" he said of the public's rush to judge. "They were slut-shaming her because of what she did last season with [season 21 Bachelor star] Nick [Viall]. For me, it goes back to the human race. We failed."
Jackson has spoken this week about the anguish the speculation caused his parents. His latest interview revealed his own anxiety about being suspected of sexual assault.
"It's every man's biggest fear," he said of the allegations. "No man wants to be attached to that. That ruins you for life. That's something that sticks with you.
"When I have children they are going to Google their dad's name and this is going to appear," he continued. That's my biggest fear."
Watch his full interview in the video below.
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