ABC is pulling the second episode of its new show The Proposal after a contestant was accused of aiding in sexual assault, People reports. The episode, which would have aired this Monday night, featured a contestant who Milwaukee woman Erica Denae Meshke claims was responsible for a date rape that she says occurred in early November.
"This person found me on tinder and asked to meet me," Meshke wrote on Facebook. "I said it had to be in a public place. He invited me to a get together in the lobby/entertainment room of an apartment complex, Diamond Tower. When I arrived, it was just him and two other 50ish year-old men whom he referred to as his “friends”. They poured me a drink, and then I was left alone with the two older men. The original guy never came back, despite me calling and texting."
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While waiting, she says she had another drink that she believes now was spiked, and the two men took her upstairs where the assault occurred. In her initial post, Meshke did not identify the specific contestant, but in the comments she revealed it was contestant Michael Friday.
"This man is the pretty face that is used as a lure to get girls into unsafe situations," her post concluded. "I’ve heard so many similar bait-and-catch horror stories, and it’s sickening. Protect your fellow women, and keep trash like this accountable for their actions."
In response to the allegations, ABC pulled the episode and released a joint statement with Warner Bros:
"An allegation has been made against a contestant on next week’s episode of The Proposal. While the accusation was not related to the contestant’s appearance on the program, we take it very seriously. ABC and the producers of The Proposal are pulling the episode while this matter is under review."
The news comes on the heels of revelations that Bachelorette contestant Lincoln Adim reportedly plead guilty to indecent assault and battery last month following an incident with a woman on a 2016 Boston cruise. Shortly before this revelation, fans also found that contestant Garrett Yrigoyen had been liking racist, transphobic, fat-shaming, and anti-feminist memes on social media.
Meshke and Friday did not immediately return Refinery29's request for comment.
If you have experienced sexual violence and are in need of crisis support, please call the RAINN Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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