Newsletter Tuesday, June 13, 2017

[LaineyGossip.com - Calling all smuthounds!] Tuesday, June 13, 2017 [Intro for June 13, 2017]( [Oprah Winfrey]( Dear Gossips, Oprah talked me into work today. She’s on this week’s episode of [The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast](, “the first podcast to which she has ever granted a wide-ranging interview”. The exclusive is described so specifically because of course she was interviewed last year on the [Making Oprah podcast](, during which she spoke about the years she spent making her talk show and the work she put into it. Oprah’s work now, of course, is running OWN. And acting. Which is why she’s here – it’s Emmy season, nominations come out in less than a month, and Oprah’s repping both Queen Sugar (she produced) and [The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks]( her first lead role in 19 years. This is Oprah at work on the campaign, working on a possible nomination for Best Actress in a Limited Series. At the risk of getting struck by lightning, I was never big on The Oprah Winfrey Show. The content just never appealed to me, except when there was a celebrity on. That’s really the only time I ever watched. The reason why I was into the Making Oprah podcast – and its predecessor, Behind The Scenes: Oprah’s 25th Season – was because it was work porn: Oprah and her producers giving us access into how the show was put together, a show about showing their work; which, as Duana has always pointed out, Oprah never did in front of the camera. That is, on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Oprah was big on how to live your best life, and featured books, people, and techniques that would help you do so, but she totally avoided stories about how to do your best work. Maybe that was implied – if you’re living well, presumably you are in a better position to work well, because, ostensibly, finding fulfillment in life includes being able to be fulfilled at work. But WORK was never a main character on Oprah. Even though, of course, this is a woman who is constantly working, whose work has made her one of the most successful women in the world. On the Making Oprah and the Awards Chatter podcasts though (and I’m only a third of the way through Awards Chatter), this is Oprah talking about work. She gets into her childhood, certainly, and how she persevered through adversity, how she Became Oprah, but she also breaks down her work process – the mistakes she made when creating her own network and how her fame and success can be barriers to her work now. Like the time John Patrick Shanley wasn’t interested in having her read for a part in the film adaptation of Doubt (Viola Davis’s role) – because he didn’t think people would be able to get past Oprah and see the character. That was in 2008. She was already a billionaire. She had long been OPRAH by then. And those were specifically the reasons she was told she couldn’t play the part. Obviously Oprah getting rejected doesn’t carry the same consequence as someone else being denied. But remember, Oprah was acting before the talk show was a landmark thing. And after the talk show, part of her work has been trying to find ways to work as an actor while being Oprah. That note from John Patrick Shanley has stuck with her. She bought into it. And that’s amazing too. That you can be Oprah, come from nothing, and literally have everything, and a director points out that you have a limitation and that ends up being a concern that informs your work decisions. So that now, every time Oprah takes on an acting role, she’s asking herself, “Are people going to believe me?” But isn’t that why Oprah is Oprah? Because people believed her? Perhaps that part of it is not as fascinating to you as it is to me. There’s a lot more here [on this hour]( though about Oprah, specifically the work of Oprah. On your way home from work later, if you have time? The second season of Queen Sugar premieres on June 20th. Yours in gossip, Lainey [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 12:59 PM [Johnny at the Brando]( [Johnny Depp is enjoying a vacation at the Brando on the Tetiaroa atoll in Polynesia, June 13, 2017]( Pirates Of The Caribbean 5 is, domestically, the lowest-grossing movie of the franchise so far. However it’s made over [$460 million worldwide]( which is, internationally speaking, about the same as Guardians Of The Galaxy 2. That accounts for 77% of the movie’s total. So, based on the foreign market, they could probably go ahead with yet another one. If [Johnny Depp]( wants to. And given that he’s short on cash these days, he’ll probably want to. As long as he can keep convincing Chinese moviegoers to see his movies, since Pirates 5 made more money in China than in North America. Here’s Johnny celebrating the possibility of getting more money out of Disney (while not showing up on time) at the Brando eco-resort in Tahiti. By now I’m sure we’re all familiar with the Brando-Depp connection. Johnny idolises Brando. Brando wasn’t punctual. He also used an earpiece on film sets so he wouldn’t have to learn his lines. And he loved lots of money for little work. So of course Johnny bought an island. Brando had an island too. This is how the photo agency describes Johnny’s visit: Johnny Depp is enjoying a vacation at the Brando on the Tetiaroa atoll in Polynesia. Johnny takes full advantage of the beauty of the paradisiacal place and particularly loves the cuisine signed by the starred chef, Guy Martin, in the gourmet restaurant of the hotel Les Mutinés by Guy Martin. Johnny Depp was a close friend of Marlon Brando (his mentor), it's his first stay at the Brando, he is "crazy about being there". Johnny Depp is also an enthusiastic supporter of the Tetiaroa Society, the research station on the island, he is himself very involved in sustainable development. For the uninitiated, if the wording here wasn’t clear enough, these photos were obviously sent out to publicise the visit and the property. Ending on “sustainable development” makes me laugh though. This is a man who flies wine in from all over the world to where he’s working so that he can have that particular Bordeaux at that particular time. Can we talk about his pants though? Today on a shoot, I was attracted to a guy based only on how he was wearing his pants – hot. He was wearing them hot. Twenty years ago, maybe, the way Johnny’s wearing his pants would have been considered hot. Now it’s considered past. Except maybe in China? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 7:14 PM [Do you miss Sandra Oh?]( [Sandra Oh]( In Shonda Rhimes’s book, Year Of Yes, she writes a lot about writing. She writes about where she writes (sometimes in the pantry), about how writing is never complete, about “laying track” for more writing. And she writes about the characters she’s written. The character she writes about the most? The one she unmistakably has the most affection for? Cristina Yang. That’s not to say that Shonda is Cristina. Like she might borrow and steal from people she knows but she doesn’t necessarily put them into herself. Rather she creates people she thinks are the most interesting, the most complicated. The way I read Shonda’s book, the most interesting person, the most complicated one she’s created, at least on Grey’s, is not Meredith Grey, but Cristina Yang. That said, Shonda and Cristina do intersect in one way: work. Meredith is the love Cristina’s love. But the passion of Cristina’s life is work. Surgery. A few weeks ago, I read a great article at Buzzfeed by Katherine Miller, [The Passion Of Ivanka Trump](. My favourite part of the piece was when Katherine reminds us of the true definition of passion. Passion has been overused and misused so much in current vernacular that the word has actually lost its… passion. “I’m so passionate about this almond milk!” “I’m so passionate about Game Of Thrones!” Are you though? Like would you die for it? As Katherine writes: The archaic definition of the word actually concerns the agony of martyrs (i.e., Christ’s death on the cross). But even the technical modern definition entails interior violence. The word literally means “extreme, compelling emotion” — an emotion that implicitly has an “overpowering or compelling effect,” something that NEEDS to be exercised, that owns you in some way, that can inspire sacrifice or despair or euphoria, something that can break you, actually. This ranges from sexual desire to the depth of emotions to a single emotion in the extreme, the personal investment that leaves you crying in some public place over the World Series. Life is difficult and complicated, and passion — an uncontrollable emotional vector — can be realized, or unfulfilled, or eternally fluid between the two, at the mercy of events beyond our rational selves. To link any significant part of your life with a true abiding passion, then, is to risk fracturing the whole. Passion then is giving over to something with the potential to break you. It’s not almond milk (which I enjoy) and it’s not Game Of Thrones. Passion is what you would risk being whole for. And for Cristina Yang, that passion is surgery. That’s what broke her. That is what also lifted her. This is the way Shonda writes about writing. And this is the way she wrote Cristina, who was played to perfection by [Sandra Oh](. It’s been a quiet couple of years for Sandra Oh since she left the show. But today [The Hollywood Reporter]( just confirmed that she’ll be starring in a new BBC America drama called Killing Eve: From Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Killing Eve is a dramatic thriller that revolves around a psychopathic assassin and the woman charged with hunting her down. The eight-episode drama, picked up to series in November, will debut at a date to be determined in 2018. Oh will take on the title role of Eve, a bored, whip-smart, pay-grade security services operative whose desk-bound job doesn't fulfill her fantasies of being a spy. Eve is pursued by Villanelle (uncast) is an elegant, talented killer who clings to the luxuries her violent job affords her. Two things here: Cristina Yang was the best character on a show named after another character. Now Sandra Oh is in a show named after her character. As it should be. An Asian-Canadian actress is headlining a series. It’s a big f-cking deal. But it also looks like this show is another show where the push-pull relationship of her life is going to be with another woman – an adversary this time and not a best friend, but another woman all the same. And, of course, embedded within all that is a storyline about her job. A job she’s not happy with. Until of course she turns it into a passion. Because, literally, if she doesn’t go from security guard to a spy, she will actually die and it could break her. Are you in? [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:34 PM [Smutty Social Media, June 13, 2017]( [Olivia Munn out in New York, June 8, 2017]( Who the people on standby to elegantly ascend [Mariah]( out of the ballpit? [Festive moments forever! 💖]( A post shared by Mariah Carey (@mariahcarey) on Jun 12, 2017 at 11:40pm PDT Yesterday, Sarah wrote about her weekend with goop. It’s going to be my [favourite read of the week](, I know it. And you know what struck me about the celebrity guests? Who was there versus who wasn’t. Did you know The Honest Company does vitamins as well? A one-month supply is about $20US. Just an FYI, [Jessica Alba]( also posted a photo from the party. With her friends. [@planetoftheapps party with my loves @jessicaalba and @iamwill. Thank you @applemusic 😍]( A post shared by Gwyneth Paltrow (@gwynethpaltrow) on Jun 12, 2017 at 8:30pm PDT [Loved having my homegirls support me tonight @planetoftheapps launch party! #planetoftheapps]( A post shared by Jessica Alba (@jessicaalba) on Jun 12, 2017 at 11:39pm PDT [Rihanna]( is a huge Cavs fan. The first post is from last year. The second is after last night’s loss. I love that she has a sense of humour about her meme-ability. [#StuntBackSundays #StillMood]( A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Jun 19, 2016 at 8:43pm PDT [😢 #childish]( A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Jun 13, 2017 at 4:08am PDT Katy Perry’s sex ranking got [a lot of play]( but you know what didn’t? The fact that she called Josh Groban “[the one that got away.](” I can totally see that: he’s funny, talented, and seems smart and humble. I’ve never heard a negative [Josh Groban]( story. And he obviously loves dogs – but I’m not sure who took these pictures. His girlfriend? [Dog day afternoon!! (📷 @lysi_ )]( A post shared by Josh Groban (@joshgroban) on Jun 2, 2017 at 12:25pm PDT I thought I had seen every type of celebrity lifestyle crossover and business – until now. [Olivia Munn]( has [invested in jerky](. It’s getting harder and harder not to be completely charmed by her, right? ["Munn has also established a reputation for investing in winners. The actress was an early investor in ride-hailing startup Uber, and backed Silicon Valley's Bulletproof Coffee." CLICK LINK in profile to read the full article. #chefscut]( A post shared by Olivia Munn (@oliviamunn) on Jun 12, 2017 at 7:35am PDT Ryan has a point – has anyone gone online for a sweater and said “give me your most expensive one!” No, not even someone with buckets of money like him. I think it’s not in most of us to start at the highest price point because it feels like getting ripped off and no one likes that feeling. Why would anyone sort prices from high to low — Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) [June 12, 2017]( [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 5:03 PM [What happened, Ellen Page]( [Flatliners movie poster]( [Ellen Page]( earned an Oscar nomination at 20 for Juno. She starred in cult favorite Hard Candy and the underrated Whip It. She’s been in the X-Men and has worked with Christopher Nolan. It’s not like Ellen Page hasn’t Done Things. She totally has. And everyone likes her! Everyone likes Ellen Page—she never seemed to attract the same hipster-ire as, say, Michael Cera. So why is she starring in this sh*tty sequel/remake of Flatliners? The first trailer was just released and while it’s not like the 1990 Flatliners is a masterpiece—it’s primarily notable for giving us Kiefer Sutherland and Julia Roberts: Failed Power Couple—the remake looks like any disposable February horror movie. This is a remake but also kind of a sequel, as it’s the same movie but with new characters. Page takes on the Kiefer Sutherland role as the med student who wants to die in order to see the afterlife, and James Norton—best known as the Sad Vicar Who Solves Murders on Grantchester—is in the Julia Roberts part of reluctant accomplice. The movie also stars [Nina Dobrev](, Kiersey Clemons, and [Diego Luna](, who just lost his Internet Boyfriend crown to Chris Pine. I understand Norton, Dobrev, and Clemons being in this movie. Even Luna makes sense—this is from the pre-Rogue One period, when Hollywood still didn’t know what to do with him. (His first post-Rogue One gig is the Scarface remake written by the Coen Brothers, which is a huge step up from Flatliners.) But Ellen Page? ELLEN PAGE? What are you doing here, Juno? Looking at her IMDB page, nothing seems so dire. She hasn’t been in a big movie since X-Men: Days of Future Past in 2014, but Freeheld had some buzz going for it, and Tallulah got strong reviews on the festival circuit last year. Plus she has a travel show on VICE, so it’s not like she isn’t busy. I guess it’s just time to get paid. And if that’s the case, man I hope Page gets PAID. She is way too good for this sh*t. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 4:22 PM [All-female, back-to-back]( [Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Sofia Coppola, Kirsten Dunst and Emma Howard attend the U.S. Premiere Of 'The Beguiled' - Arrivals at Directors Guild Of America on June 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California]( Scarlett Johansson and the cast of Rough Night were at the premiere last night in New York. And over in LA, [Nicole Kidman](, [Kirsten Dunst](, [Elle Fanning](, and Emma Howard joined director [Sofia Coppola]( for the premiere of The Beguiled. Rough Night opens this coming Friday. The Beguiled opens next Friday. That’s two all-female casts on back-to-back weekends while Wonder Woman is the #1 movie in the world. Is it everything? Not yet. Of course not yet. We can always do better, we can always be more representative. Certainly in the case of The Beguiled, when you look at this group shot, there could definitely be more inclusion. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something here that we can build from. I’ve been thinking about these three movies all day. It occurred to me while technically, they belong to different genres (superhero, psychological drama, raunchy comedy) that there’s a theme here. Is there a theme? In Wonder Woman, we first meet Diana at home in Themyscira, where she is raised by a battalion of women. Things change with the arrival of man. The same is true of The Beguiled. Nicole Kidman is the headmistress of the school, Kirsten Dunst one of the teachers. Their whole world is female. Until a soldier comes along, upsetting the fragile peace of the house, and they must find a way to deal with his presence. In Rough Night, five women go on a bachelorette weekend and things get f-cked up when the male stripper arrives. That’s not to say that the message here is that men are not welcome. But perhaps, in three different ways, these films are exploring – subtly and not so subtly – how western society has institutionalised one gender to be reactive to the other. And, perhaps, what happens when women begin to drive the narrative themselves. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 3:44 PM [Still on: ScarJost]( [Scarlett Johansson at the New York premiere of Rough Night, June 12, 2017]( It was first reported that [Scarlett Johansson]( and [Colin Jost]( [are happening]( after the season finale of SNL. Colin was just asked about their hookup last weekend. He had [no comment](. There was no joke deflection, he wasn't all like, "the press makes up the craziest stories!", just a general unwillingness to discuss. What? What's to not want to discuss? Well, according to [Page Six](, they were seen out for dinner the other night. So it wasn't just that one party, just that one and done. It may not be serious but it's ongoing. ScarJost is still a thing. I'm supposed to be more excited about this than I am. New celebrity couple. And Scarjo is such a big name. But...I have no feelings. In other Scarjo news, here she is at the Rough Night premiere in New York last night in Michael Kors. The second Kors she's worn in a row. She was also wearing MK [at the Tonys](. I wonder if that means anything or if it just happened to be two looks that she liked, two looks that I don't really like. Especially this silver one. It's more exciting on paper than on the person, non? Silver dress crisscross chest, tight to the body. But ...boring? I think maybe it's the fit. It might be an inch or two too long. And loose in certain parts? Not sure what it is exactly but Scarjo generating heat from a dress like this, you would think, is a no-brainer. And it's just not happening. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:58 PM [Katy Perry's "performative wokeness"]( [Katy Perry performs onstage at the 'Katy Perry - Witness World Wide' Exclusive YouTube Livestream Concert on June 12, 2017 in Los Angeles, California]( In support of her new album Witness and its upcoming tour, [Katy Perry]( is doing a lot of talking. She talked about [her exes](. She talked about [Taylor Swift](. She talked about religion and sex and cooking and oh yeah, she talked about a few of the times she put on other people’s cultures like they were costumes. Katy Perry livestreamed her [every move]( all weekend and of all the topics she covered, her thoughts on her past instances of cultural appropriation have been the most divisive. Katy’s comments were given during an interview with Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson. I can’t find the entire episode online yet but a 2-minute snippet of their conversation has gone viral: I'm proud of Katy for acknowledging her mistakes with cultural appropriation. She's learning [pic.twitter.com/uyHd3upmzx]( — la bella vita (@drugproblem) [June 11, 2017]( “I’ve made several mistakes – even in the This is How We Do video about how I wore my hair and having a hard conversation with one of my empowered angels Cleo about what does it mean? Why can’t I wear my hair that way? What is the history behind wearing the hair that way? And she told me about the power in black women’s hair, and how beautiful it is, and the struggle… I listened. And I heard. And I didn’t know. And I won’t ever understand some of those things because of who I am — I will never understand, but I can educate myself, and that’s what I’m trying to do along the way.” OK. Here is where I refer to the two most important words Duana has ever taught me: “Yes... and?” Yes, Katy Perry ignorantly appropriated black culture by wearing her hair in cornrows and yes, she did all the other stereotypical BS packed into the This is How We Do video. Yes, she acknowledged her ignorance. Yes, she was right when she said she will never understand the plight of the black women whose culture she appropriated. And? What has Katy Perry done with this penitence? She continued to be problematic after that video and she has done little to show that she truly understands her privilege and that she’s not just saying this sh-t to sell records. Many Twitter users were quick to applaud Perry’s comments. They said it was brave for her to “apologize.” Where were the words, “I’m sorry,” though? They said that it was great that she was trying to do better. April Reign, the creator of #OscarsSoWhite, was not one of those Twitter users. Explain to me how many chances a 32 year old woman, who has been called out before for cultural appropriation, should receive. She's not 16. — April (@ReignOfApril) [June 12, 2017]( Janet Jackson’s career has still never recovered from a goddamn wardrobe malfunction and yet, Katy Perry can perform in a [full Geisha costume](, not even acknowledge how f-cked up it was until years later and suffer no career setbacks? This is why many black women writers are refusing to let Katy off the hook. She gets all the chances with no repercussions. This is why they are also calling out DeRay McKesson for serving softballs at Katy instead of asking the hard questions like, “IF you are so woke now, how do you explain your performance with Migos on SNL last month? IF you’re so woke now, why do your comments still make you out to be the victim?” (I should note that DeRay has since responded to the negative reaction to his interview [here](.) Re: victimhood, here are Katy’s full remarks on that now infamous performance at the 2013 Billboard awards: Even in my intention to appreciate Japanese culture, I did it wrong with a performance, and I didn’t know that I did it wrong until I heard people saying I did it wrong...Sometimes that’s what it takes, is it takes someone to say — out of compassion, out of love — ‘This is where the origin is, do you understand?’ And not just like, a clapback. Because it’s hard to hear those clapbacks sometimes. And your ego just wants to turn from them. I’ve been so grateful to have great teachers and great friends who will really hold me accountable…” Katy is calling for “compassion” and “love” instead of clapbacks because they are “hard to hear.” I’m sure it was hard for Katy’s Japanese fans to watch her use their culture as a prop. Performative Allyship is a term I was first introduced to a few years ago – probably through the comments in a Jezebel article, you know, where I learn most of my progressive buzzwords. It’s the idea that people of the dominant group only act in solidarity with minorities when there's an audience to acknowledge their actions and that they act as allies only with the promise of being celebrated for it. I saw a tweet (forgive me for forgetting who actually posted it) that called the Katy Perry/ DeRay McKesson interview “performative wokeness.” Remember when Katy tried to sell us that her music was “[purposeful pop](” and instead of being purposeful, Witness is just another mediocre pop album? What does it mean that I literally see "whiteness" every time I read the title of her album? Anyway, it's not our job to hold Katy Perry's hand through her white guilt. It gets exhausting to always be the one explaining to white people when they say or do problematic sh-t. I would know. There should be no prize or praise that comes with the recognition and ownership of a mistake if a) there are no consequences and b) that person continues to profit off of the people they appropriated in the first place. This thread by white writer Abraham Gutman nails all of these points. So [@katyperry]( told [@deray]( that PoC need to educate us, white ppl, w/ "compassion & love" when we make mistakes. 👏We👏are👏not👏the👏victim👏 — Abraham Gutman 🌹 (@abgutman) [June 11, 2017]( I understand how this could all be confusing. But Kathleen, you might say, you're always calling on white celebrities to own up to their mistakes and listen to the people of colour around them. Isn’t that what Katy is doing? Of course, celebrities cannot be right all the time. We all f-ck up. Owning and acknowledging mistakes is something I write about often when I write about cultural appropriation. I’ve called on [Miley Cyrus]( and on [Justin Bieber]( to listen to some of the criticism they receive instead of just dismissing it. Recognition of wrongdoing is something I've commended [Lena Dunham]( for. So how are Katy’s comments different than Lena Dunham’s apologies for her own problematic history? My issue with Katy is that so far, it's just words. Lena Dunham started Lenny Letter, a place for women of colour to share their own voices. She hired actors of colour to appear on Girls (not that this gives the show a pass). Lena Dunham acted on her contrition. Katy Perry is on a promotional tour. It’s hard to feel like this is genuine remorse when it happened during a 3 day live-stream that The New Yorker called, “[heavy with promotional intention, and low on spontaneity or frankness.](” I’ll be impressed when Katy talks less and does more. Attached- Katy Perry performing a free show in LA yesterday to promote Witness. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 2:22 PM [The Reality of Consent]( [Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson]( As Rachel continues to charm on [The Bachelorette](, the franchise’s embarrassing cousin, Bachelor in Paradise, has halted filming because of an allegation of sexual misconduct. I am not a member of Bachelor Nation; I’ve watched one season of Bachelor in Paradise (BiP) and didn’t know who anyone was, but I was fascinated by the expectation of an engagement after a couple of weeks in Mexico. (Three couples got engaged. One is still together.) At the BiP resort, there is heavy drinking, immediate hook-ups, and lots of fighting. Each episode, the female and male contestants take turns handing out roses (there’s an odd number of people every week, so whoever is left without a partner is cut). The allegation of misconduct has come about in a few different ways (I will be using names, as they are widely available online). It involves Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson; both were the cast “villians” in their respective seasons. There are different versions of the story being leaked. Let’s start with TMZ as they had the first statements from DeMario’s camp (interesting, as he has surely signed a confidentiality agreement, as do all contestants), then Corinne and the production rebuttal. (Please keep in mind I’m working with the information available to me at the time of writing, and am ignoring many of the cast reaction stories because I don’t give a single solitary f-ck about anyone not involved.) TMZ out of the gate: the cast arrived at the island. Producers encouraged Corinne and DeMario to hook up. There was lot of drinking, and the two engaged in heavy petting and oral sex (he was too drunk to get it up). Key detail: she “put her genitals in his face.” The crew was present. DeMario’s camp says everything was fine between them the next day and they were only alerted to an issue after a producer watched the tape. The report acknowledges that the oral sex details are a major point of contention. (Read the full TMZ account [here](.) [US Weekly](, via ET and under new ownership, has this: "Next thing you know, Corinne comes over and hops on his lap. They start talking and joking," the insider claimed to ET, adding that the pair quickly became hot and heavy. "Everyone is just going about their business. Cameras are rolling. Producers are everywhere. That's when a 'third party' [a producer] felt uncomfortable, claiming misconduct in the workplace." They also add that since filming was halted, DeMario got a hold of her and they are “getting along well.” Read the full US Weekly account [here](. PEOPLE treats it as much more than a drunken hook-up, reporting from their source: “The show absolutely values the primacy of consent, and this instance it appears as though conduct allegedly occurred without the proper consent having been given.” PEOPLE also notes that two cast members saw the incident and were upset producers did not intervene. Read the full PEOPLE report [here](. LA Times reporter Amy Kaufman (who has deep ties to the show) had an exclusive thread on this early on – read it [here](. According to [Refinery 29](, Corinne has watched the tape. The investigation was prompted by a producer. Late yesterday afternoon, [TMZ]( had the first account from Corinne who asserts she was blackout drunk and that she had no recollection of what happened, and cast members had to fill her in the next day. Per this report, she is more upset with production than she is with DeMario because he was also intoxicated, and she is blaming producers for not intervening. Production is denying any wrongdoing. Consent is what this hinges on – not a concept that often comes up in reality TV but one that comes up all the time for women in real life. We’ve heard stories like this before and know where it’s going: the focus is on the behaviour of the possible victim, not the alleged perpetrator. The idea that she continued to speak to him (keep in mind that on BiP, they are isolated, with only the cast and crew and no radio/TV etc) is mentioned in many versions. She continued to speak to him, which means what? If she was blackout drunk, she would not have known they were together the night before. Or maybe she felt pressured, or embarrassed, or in denial. Contact is not proof of consent. Online, Corinne’s story is already being written. She is being [blamed and slut-shamed]( (and there are many racist comments directed at DeMario, who is black). Many of the comments place the onus on the possible victim -– why did you continue to speak to him? Why didn’t you go to the police? Why didn’t you drink water/keep your legs closed/not go in the pool/blow your rape whistle? I’m not meaning to make light of this but really, no matter what unfolds in the investigation, to many people she is another drunk girl at a bar with too short of a skirt. Her social media, her “platinum vagine” catchphrase, her every move on TV will be scrutinized for signs that she is the kind of woman who clearly wanted “it” in every way, shape and form. And while this story is similar to many, it’s also unique in that it happened in a controlled, remote and monitored environment with several sober adults not just present, but responsible for the set. Witnesses to sexual assault aren’t uncommon. We’ve all read stories of teenagers holding up cellphones while an unconscious girl is raped. If this incident happened, what would make it justifiable– because the alleged victim signed a contract to be there? Is it because she talked about her vagina and played a cookie-cutter villain, and not one of the earnest do-gooders who actually want to get married? Or did the producers simply f-ck up and not grasp the gravity of what was happening in the moment? According to former contestants, producers intervene all the time – so why not this time? Was there a different set of expectations for Corinne and DeMario? On the other end, “production sources” have vehemently denied the complaint, saying the tape shows she was lucid and no one came to them with concerns at the time. Most of the contestants should be mic’d day-and-night, so conversations are monitored. If they producers are playing this hand, what do they know? Some of the comments I’ve read on social media are also directed at the producer who filed the original complaint, wondering why someone who works on BiP would be uncomfortable with heavy petting/oral sex. Let’s get this perfectly straight: some people are upset that a producer would sound the alarm on an alleged sexual assault at their workplace. Even if he/she is reporting out of an abundance of caution, isn’t it better to report than not report? This is the constant cry of people who dismiss statistics – why isn’t it reported? Someone reports it and everyone screams slut, liar, gold digger. It’s the reality of people who try to have misconduct investigated -- and this is happening publicly. Imagine what happens behind closed doors. The threads blaming the producer (many assume it’s a woman – I have not seen anything to confirm that) for getting the show cancelled argue s/he must be too sensitive or have ulterior motives. “You work for The Bachelor, what did you expect.” And that’s denominator in many sexual assault incidents – that all of this should be expected. You drink too much? Expect it. You go on a reality show centered around hook-ups? Expect it. You get naked on TV? Expect it. You work in entertainment? Expect it. It’s nothing to cancel a season about. You think you witnessed sexual assault? Don’t be so uptight. These women must be after more money! What we are left with is a she said/he said/they said – and a tape (which I hope, unless Corinne wants it to, never sees the light of day). There will not be a 2017 season of Bachelor in Paradise. The investigation continues, and so do the frustrating conversations about consent, and what kind of woman is allowed to exercise her right to it. [Click here for the rest of the photos.]( Posted at 1:37 PM [Privacy Policy]( - [Unsubscribe](