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DeMario Jackson Is Reportedly in "Talks" for Dancing with the Stars
Will this be his comeback?
ABC may not be ready to cut ties with DeMario Jackson just yet.
After a summer of controversy starting with an eventful exit from The Bachelorette and quickly followed by a production-halting scandal on Bachelor in Paradise, the alphabet network is in talks to bring Jackson to the next season of Dancing with the Stars, according to Us Weekly.
ABC has not confirmed the news, saying the cast list for Season 25 will be announced closer to the Sept. 18 premiere date. However, it wouldn't be the first time the show has cast a scandalous public figure in need of a persona makeover. Nick Viall twirled on the dance floor last season after a bumpy season as The Bachelor. Ryan Lochte tried to tango his way out of his Olympic drama in Brazil with mixed results the season before that. Paula Deen tried to make people forget she's racist through the art of dance.
Jackson left The Bachelorette early in the season when his ex-girlfriend showed up and caused a scene in front of Rachel Lindsay. Jackson then took a trip to Mexico to film Bachelor in Paradise where a questionable sexual encounter between him and fellow contestant Corinne Olympios caused production to temporarily shut down after allegations of misconduct.
Both a studio and a private investigation by Olympios' legal team turned up no wrongdoing and filming resumed without Jackson or Olympios. Jackson will next appear in The Bachelorette "Men Tell All" special, which airs Monday night on ABC.
Even though the Bachelor in Paradise found no wrongdoing in Jackson's behavior, the entire scandal did put a dent in his popular appeal. A favorable turn on Dancing with the Stars probably wouldn't make him popular enough to be the Bachelor at any point, but it could up his social cache.
The question here is, what does Dancing with the Stars gain from having him on the show?
Dancing with the Stars premieres Sept. 18 on ABC.