PHOTOSRaven Gates Reveals She Was ‘Sexually Assaulted’ In Past ‘Abusive’ Relationship’
Raven Gates made a heartbreaking confession about her past on Tuesday night’s episode of Bachelor in Paradise. The Bachelor star, who was the runner-up on Nick Viall’s season, opened up about being in an “abusive relationship" that ended with an assault while discussing the sex scandal between DeMario Jackson and Corinne Olympios.
“A lot of people don’t know this, that I was in a very abusive relationship and there was a point where I was sexually assaulted and so I guess that’s why I took this kind of really personally,” Gates told the cast.
“So I hope this situation doesn’t deter actual victims from coming forward and really speaking their truth and getting help and asking for help,” she continued. “I hope this doesn’t deter anybody.”
BIP host Chris Harrison then thanked Raven for courageously sharing her experience.
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Also during the group conversation, Raven discussed how she believed race played a role in how the situation between DeMario and Corinne was handled.
“I’m sensitive to it because I’m from the South and we have a stigma that seeing a white woman with a black man is wrong,” Raven said. “And that night, what happened wasn’t wrong. And so I was super empathetic with DeMario because it’s just another issue. Not only is consent important, but it’s also to get rid of the stigma that interracial couples can’t be or blaming African American men for crimes they didn’t commit.”
As previously reported, BIP production was suspended after there were “allegations of misconduct” following a sexual encounter between Corinne and DeMario. An internal investigation then ensued, which ultimately found no evidence of misconduct.
Bachelor in Paradise airs on Mondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC
