Reality TV

"Mob Wives" star Renee Graziano just can't believe it ... drama in paradise?!

Renee was leaving Craig's Thursday night in WeHo when we asked her about the "Bachelor in Paradise" controversy over alleged sexual misconduct between Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson in the pool. As we reported, "B.I.P" has been put on ice while Warner Bros. investigates.

DeMario Jackson's ex-gf -- the woman who exposed him as a villain on national TV -- is actually coming to his defense in the Corinne Olympios scandal ... but she has a strange way of doing it.

Lexi Thexton claims DeMario is nothing more than a "30-year-old man child" who parties way too much -- but also says there's no way the "Bachelor in Paradise" star would knowingly take advantage of a drunk woman ... as Corinne insinuated when she declared she's a victim.

For Lexi to say anything supportive about her ex is a big deal. Mind you, she also called him a "sh***y guy" who's completely self-absorbed ... among a list of other insults. She did offer a theory about what really happened with Corinne -- and strongly believes it's more about 2 people getting too drunk.

For non-'Bachelorette' viewers ... Lexi made a surprise appearance on the show, calling out DeMario for trying to woo Rachel Lindsay while still dating her. He got booted off the show that very same episode.

Now that Corinne Olympios appears headed for a legal showdown with producers of "Bachelor in Paradise" ... the contract she signed becomes extrememly relevant, and problematic.

The contract contestants sign, obtained by TMZ, says in part all contestants waive their right to sue producers over claims of "negligence, personal injury (including without limitation, any injuries arising out of the transmission of a sexually transmitted disease or unwelcome/unlawful contact or other interaction among participants)."

The short of it ... even if she was in a blackout state when she was engaged in sexual activity with DeMario Jackson, the producers would not be responsible. There's a catch ... courts have made it clear in situations involving similar contracts, if the producers were reckless that clause would not be enforceable. And it would seem watching someone incapable of giving consent to sexual activity and allowing it to happen ... is reckless.

And still another catch ... as we reported, people who have seen the video tell us Corinne seems lucid and engaged during the entire swimming pool episode.

DeMario Jackson doesn't want anyone hating on Corinne Olympios for what went down in the pool between them ... leading to "Bachelor in Paradise" production shutting down.

Jackson was leaving a gym in L.A. when he was asked if he was any closer to obtaining the pool footage he believes will clear him of wrongdoing. He's tight-lipped about that ... but opens up about Corinne and any backlash from their sexual encounter.

Corinne Olympios was topless in the pool with DeMario Jackson and so aware of her surroundings, she greeted a cast member walking by, showing no signs of distress -- but Corinne's attorney isn't buying it.

Sources close to the "Bachelor in Paradise" cast tell TMZ ... one female cast member walked right by the pool when Corinne and DeMario were hooking up, and saw her with her top off and her legs wrapped around him. We're told Corinne yelled out to the passerby by name and seemed "very with it" ... coherent.

The cast member told others she would have done something to break up the pool tryst if she felt Corinne was too drunk. Further, the cast member says cameras followed her when she walked by ... so the whole encounter should be on tape.

Corinne's attorney, Marty Singer, tells TMZ ... "If nothing inappropriate happened, why did production get shut down? Something serious clearly happened."

The female cast member says Corinne talked about the DeMario hookup the next day because she was upset her boyfriend, back home, would find out -- but she never heard Corinne say anything about it being non-consensual.

You didn't really think NeNe Leakes was going to let Kim Zolciak hog the spotlight -- she's finally signed on for Season 10 of 'RHOA.'

Sources connected to production tell us NeNe signed on the dotted line Wednesday, ending months of negotiations to bring her and Kim back for the show's 10th anniversary. Kim struck her deal back in April, but NeNe's been holding out.

There's a twist though ... NeNe will only be a part-time cast member. We're told she passed on a full-time gig because she has too many other balls in the air right now such as her clothing line.

Some of the other women on the show have already started shooting the next season, but NeNe's yet to appear.

As you'd expect, NeNe's being totally modest about her new deal, saying ... "All hail the queen for season 10."

Corinne Olympios has hired a team to "seek justice" for the "Bachelor in Paradise" swimming pool incident ... TMZ has learned.

Corinne tells TMZ ... "I am a victim and have spent the last week trying to make sense of what happened on June 4. Although I have little memory of that night, something bad obviously took place, which I understand is why production on the show has now been suspended and a producer on the show has filed a complaint against the production."

Corinne goes on ... "As a woman, this is my worst nightmare and it has now become my reality. As I pursue the details and facts surrounding that night and the immediate days after, I have retained a group of professionals to ensure that what happened on June 4 comes to light and I can continue my life, including hiring an attorney to obtain justice and seeking therapy to begin dealing with the physical and emotional trauma stemming from that evening."

TMZ has learned Corinne hired Marty Singer, and that makes it feel like a lawsuit is brewing.

TMZ broke the story ... Corinne and fellow 'BIP' castmate DeMario Jackson got extremely sexual in a swimming pool the first day of filming. DeMario says Corinne was the instigator and was lucid the entire time. Sources who have seen the tape also say Corinne appeared lucid. We're told both were drunk ... the central issue becomes, just how drunk?

"Bachelor in Paradise" star DeMario Jackson certainly doesn't look like a man in the middle of a serious reality TV controversy.

DeMario was out with a bunch of his friends Tuesday night as the group hit up Saint & Second in Long Beach. He appeared pretty loose ... never mind the controversy surrounding him and co-star Corinne Olympios.

As we reported ... DeMario wants the pool sex video released because he feels he did nothing wrong.

"Bachelor in Paradise" star DeMario Jackson desperately wants the tape of his sexual encounter with Corinne Olympios to be released so he can clear his name.

Sources close to DeMario tell TMZ ... he's hell-bent on getting a copy of the footage of himself and Corinne "rubbing, touching and fingering" in the pool. We're told he already had a lawyer contact Warner Bros requesting the tape.

DeMario believes the video will prove what he's said all along -- Corinne was lucid and he did nothing wrong. If he can't get a copy, we're told he wants WB to release it on its own. DeMario also wants them to release a statement clarifying HE isn't under investigation.

Multiple people who've seen the footage tell us ... the encounter appears completely consensual and DeMario is in no way the aggressor. In fact, we're told he and Corinne seemed kind and considerate to each other.

Our sources say DeMario's looking to lawyer up because although Corinne hasn't blamed him yet, he's not taking any chances. When we saw him in WeHo Tuesday, he seemed to bear no grudge toward her.

DeMario Jackson came out of hiding and while he was mostly tight-lipped about the sexual encounter with Corinne Olympios that shut down "Bachelor in Paradise" ... he did answer one key question.

The 'BIP' star was leaving Caffe Primo in West Hollywood Tuesday when paps peppered him with questions. We asked what he thought about Corinne saying she was too wasted to consent ... and if he was pissed.

DeMario's clearly playing this close to the vest, but he at least wants everyone to know where he stands with Corinne.

A standout contestant on "America's Got Talent" has died just weeks before his episode was scheduled to air ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the production tell us 29-year-old Dr. Brandon Rogers died over the weekend in a car accident. We're told the crash occurred in Maryland Saturday. Brandon was taken to a hospital where he died Sunday.

Brandon was a fantastic singer who was discovered by 'AGT' producers who saw him on Instagram covering Boyz II Men's hit song, "On Bended Knee." The band even shouted him out on social media, asking fans if they thought they should bring him on tour with them. Sure enough ... they did.

Production sources tell us no decision has been made on whether or not to run the episode. It's scheduled to air next month. The family tells TMZ they would love for the episode to air.

Corinne Olympios was so wasted several hours after she and DeMario Jackson hooked up, she could hardly stand.

Witnesses at the Mexican resort tell us 2 hours after her sexual encounter with DeMario ... she was stumbling drunk, eyes closed, slurring badly and wearing her clothes inside out. As one source put it, "she was on a whole other level."

TMZ broke the story, a week ago Sunday Corinne and DeMario were naked in the pool, "rubbing, touching and fingering" and engaging in oral sex.

As we reported, Corinne insists she was so wasted she was incapable of giving consent, and blames producers for not calling a halt to the escapade. She says she has no recollection of events in the pool.

People who have seen footage of the encounter tell TMZ it's apparent she was lucid the entire time.

We know DeMario says when they went to the pool, Corinne was drunk but still lucid.

Connecting the dots ... it's possible Corinne was drunk but still with it at the pool, but as she continued drinking entered a blackout stage and forgot most of what happened from the time she began drinking.

One of Rachel Lindsay's guys on "The Bachelorette" was determined, or even desperate, to be on the show ever since he was in high school.

Fan fave Peter Kraus listed his future plans in his 2005 high school yearbook. The senior at Edgewood High in Madison, WI wrote ... "Go to art school, become famous in one way or another, be on The Bachelor, live happily."

Welp ... he can knock being on the show off his bucket list, which arguably means ... he's accomplished the "famous" part too.

There's fan speculation Peter's the guy Rachel picks, and actually gets engaged to at the end of the season. She does seem really into him.

Makes ya wonder if she knows about Peter's high school ambitions.

Corinne Olympios claims she was in a blackout state when she got sexual with fellow "Bachelor in Paradise" star DeMario Jackson ... and she blames producers for not pulling the plug and protecting her, although our sources say people who have seen the tape claim she was lucid and fully engaged.

Sources close to Corinne tell TMZ she was drunk the entire day of filming when she ended up naked in the swimming pool with DeMario. Although DeMario remembers everything -- from "rubbing, touching and fingering" to licking her genitals -- she says she remembers nothing.

We're told the day after the swimming pool incident she claims fellow cast members began telling her stories of what went down with DeMario. She says several cast members told her they had voiced concern to people on the production crew that she was in no position to consent to sexual activity, but the crew did not heed their warnings.

Production sources insist other cast members did not complain to anyone that Corinne was too drunk to form an intent to have sexual contact with DeMario.

Corinne has told her friends she has a boyfriend and wouldn't have done what she did -- especially with cameras rolling -- to jeopardize that relationship.

As we reported, sources familiar with the footage say she appeared "fully engaged." Corrine doesn't fully blame DeMario because he too was drunk. She blames producers and has lawyered up.

"Bachelor in Paradise" has been shut down as Warner Bros investigates.

"Bachelor in Paradise" was shut down because a field producer filed a complaint that Corinne Olympios seemed so drunk the first day of filming she had no ability to consent to DeMario Jackson's sexual moves in a swimming pool, and producers nonetheless let it play out on film.

The producer in question believes Corinne may have been sexually assaulted, although we know DeMario claims the encounter was not only consensual ... she was the instigator.

TMZ broke the story of DeMario's version of events ... that he and Corinne were drinking heavily and making out at the bar. She suggested they take it to the swimming pool, where they took their clothes off and began "rubbing, touching and fingering." He also claims she put her genitals in his face and he began licking. He says he was unable to consummate things because he was so drunk.

Our sources say the field producer in question was assigned to shadow Corinne, and began hearing stories from people on the set that Corinne was so drunk she had no idea what was going on in the pool. It's unclear if the producer watched the incident, but we know she has NOT seen the footage.

People familiar with the footage tell TMZ Corinne appears "fully engaged." As we reported, after the complaint was filed Warner Bros immediately dismissed both DeMario and Corinne and launched an investigation into "misconduct."

Xscape fired up their fans when they announced a reunion a few months back, and now they're giving more -- a docuseries.

Production sources tell TMZ ... the all girl R&B super group is filming in ATL and the show will air on Bravo. We're told it premieres in November ... when 'RHOA' returns so it can piggyback off the show.

The show will follow all 4 members -- Kandi Burruss, Tiny Harris, LaTocha and Tamika Scott -- as they reunite to prepare for their first performance in over 20 years which takes place at Essence Festival later this month.