Former Bachelorette Claims She Was Sexually Assaulted By Show’s Masseuse

Former Bachelorette Claims She Was Sexually Assaulted By Show’s Masseuse

Former Bachelorette Meredith Phillips alleges she was drugged and sexually assaulted by a female masseuse while the ABC show was in production on Season 2.

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Phillips revealed the allegations during an interview on the Reality Steve podcast.

She said producers brought in a massage therapist to help her relax after she told them she felt fatigued during filming in 2003. (The show aired in 2004). The female masseuse allegedly then gave Phillips an unidentified pill. “I just assumed it was an aspirin or something to loosen up my back, or Tylenol, or something. And it definitely wasn’t that, that’s for sure,” Phillips said. “The last thing I remember was she got naked and she was in the tub with me, and rubbing my back and rubbing areas probably she shouldn’t have. And then I was put in bed. I woke up naked. Don’t remember much.”

Phillips said she never reported the incident because she “wanted to protect the franchise, which is fucked-up.” She decided to stay on and finish her season and has tried to move past the incident. “It is a huge deal. I have worked through it and thrown it in the back of my mind. I had no control. Zero. I think that was the hardest part for me, that I couldn’t even lift my arms to say no.”

The show’s production company Warner Bros. said it had no comment when reached by Deadline.

Last year, production was temporarily halted on another show in The Bachelor franchise, Bachelor in Paradise, following allegations of sexual misconduct involving two contestants. Production resumed after Warner Bros announced that its investigation was completed and no evidence of misconduct was found.

Season 14 of The Bachelorette premieres May 28 on ABC.