Former Bachelorette contestant Leo Dottavio is seeking legal action following a series of public accusations of sexual misconduct. Dottavio, a performer for the Universal Studios WaterWorld show, took leave from his job after Bekah Martinez published accounts from several women on Instagram. Dottavio told The Blast that he plans to put together a lawsuit against Martinez, provided that he can prove "loss of wages."
"I took a leave because I didn’t want bad press coming to my public place of work," Dottavio told the outlet. Representation for the production company behind WaterWorld told The Blast that Dottavio's leave of absence was a matter of "allowing [Dottavio] the time he needs to handle the matter privately." Last week, TMZ reported that Universal Studios was investigating Dottavio following a complaint about his behavior on the ride. Dottavio disputed this, telling The Blast that his suspension was of his own volition. A Universal spokesperson told Refinery29 that the company would not be commenting on the matter. When reached for comment, Warner Brothers also declined to comment.
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Martinez, who appeared on The Bachelor season 22, received a number of submissions from anonymous women regarding Dottavio's behavior over Instagram last month. She subsequently shared the accusations on social media, prompting a response from Dottavio.
"No one has ever come to me in any way and told me I made them feel uncomfortable. However, I am NOT A PERFECT person nor have I ever claimed to be," Dottavio said in a statement.
He continued, "I would love an opportunity to right my wrongs and speak to any woman that wants to tell me how and when I made them feel uncomfortable." Dottavio will appear in upcoming episodes of Bachelor in Paradise.
Refinery29 has reached out to Martinez for comment.