'Bachelor in Paradise': Cast Gets Candid About Race and Consent After Returning From Season 4 Shutdown

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Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson ruled the season four premiere of Bachelor in Paradise, and Tuesday night's episode was no different.

After about 45 minutes dedicated to Evan Bass and Carly Waddell's wedding (which was filmed during the season four production shutdown following DeMario and Corinne's pool encounter), Chris Harrison brought Paradise back -- with an in-depth talk about the scandal. 


WATCH: 'Bachelor in Paradise' Premiere: A Timeline of Corinne & DeMario's Interactions Before the Big Shutdown

"Warner Bros. hired an outside firm to look into everything that supposedly happened here. They looked at all the footage, sent people to interview all of you and our staff. They concluded that there was no evidence of misconduct by cast on this set," Harrison told the assembled original season four cast, minus DeMario and Corinne. "Do you trust that conclusion?" 

"I think we all knew that. It was just hard going back home and seeing the media blow it so out of proportion," Alexis Waters said.

"My worry was for DeMario and Corinne... it was so unfair the way that people were speaking about DeMario... it broke my heart, because no matter if everything is cleared up, people are always going to associate something bad happening with Corinne and DeMario," Raven Gates explained, before Diggy Moreland noted that every time DeMario applies for a future job, his employers have countless pages of Google search results to sift through.

While the cast seemed to support both Corinne and DeMario, they did question Corinne's statement that she was a "victim." 


EXCLUSIVE: DeMario Jackson Weighs In on 'Bachelor in Paradise' Premiere: I Feel 'Vindicated'

"She wanted to try and save face," Danielle Maltby said.

"I don't think Corinne's statements came from her," Derek Peth added.

"Do you think race played a part in this?" Harrison asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Nick Benvenutti confessed, as the rest of the cast nodded their heads in agreement.

"Not only is consent important, but it's also a stigma that interracial couples can't be together, or blaming African-American men for a crime they didn't commit," Raven said, revealing that she took the scandal personally, "because I was sexually assaulted." "I hope this situation doesn't deter actual victims from coming forward, and really speaking their truth and getting help and asking for help."

"I think the other thing that we should bring up is that you need to get consent throughout. Just because someone brings up consent in the beginning, doesn't mean that they can't have the right to say no at any point. So, consent needs to be throughout everything," Ben Zorn shared, while Diggy offered his own opinion on consent.

"The question comes into, would you have given the same consent if you were sober?" Diggy said. "I think we've all been there the next morning or whatever, and you're like, 'Yeah, I shouldn't have done this. Not to make light of the situation, but it's like, alcohol clouds your judgement, but you can give consent.'"


EXCLUSIVE: Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson Will Sit Down for 'BiP' Interviews: 'All Will Be Explained' 

The episode showed a lot of the group's conversation about what went down before production was halted, but the new "rules" -- like giving consent to a producer before becoming intimate with another contestant, and the two-drink limit per hour -- were not laid out for the audience.

"With the power vested in me, I now declare Bachelor in Paradise back open," Harrison said, as the cast celebrated together before discussing the current status of their relationships.

Here's where things stand with the couples in the house:


Taylor and Derek

Viewers saw the beginnings of a romance between the pair during Monday's premiere, and it seemed Taylor and Derek kept the conversation going during the shutdown. Their love clearly didn't "die," and on their Dia de los Muertos-themed date, Derek revealed that Taylor was going to "share more of herself with me," before they headed to the bedroom.


Jasmine and Matt

Jasmine, who was originally in a love triangle with Matt and Nick, appeared to be all-in with Team Matt after the break. Matt, however, wasn't on her "level," and refused to go off with Jasmine for some private time without their mics... which Jasmine wasn't too thrilled about.


Kristina and Dean

Kristina and Dean also took advantage of their time off camera, forming a bond during a road trip to Kentucky. Unfortunately, it looks like that's where their bond stayed, as Dean didn't exactly look ready to commit (and was seen cozying up to Danielle Lombard in the promo for next week's episode).


Amanda and Alex

According to Alex, he and Amanda were on the path to romance before production was shut down, but Amanda made it clear on Tuesday night's episode that Alex wasn't getting anything more than her "friendship rose."


RELATED: Chris Harrison Talks Explosive 'Bachelor in Paradise' Season Four Premiere: 'There Were Tears Shed'


Raven and Ben and Robby

The Arkansas native admitted to "ghosting" both Ben and Robby during the shutdown, but admitted that she's tired of her love triangle and is more likely to give her rose to Ben -- which, as we see in the promo, leaves Robby open for a little romancing with Amanda.


Lacey and Daniel?

Lacey spent most of the episode complaining about the lack of men interested in her, and crying about how she just wished Daniel Maguire would show up. Dry your tears, Lacey... he's on his way and ready to make a sex tape!


Bachelor in Paradise
airs Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.

Find out what to expect from the season in the video below.