In another controversy for ABC’s “The Bachelorette,” contestant Lincoln Adim was convicted last month of indecent assault and battery for a 2016 incident and will register as a sex offender, according to the district attorney’s office in Suffolk County, Massachusetts.
The judge in the case ordered Adim to stay away from the victim, whom he assaulted on a Boston cruise ship. Adim was also sentenced to one year in prison, with that term suspended for a two-year probationary period. During that time, he must attend three Alcoholics Anonymous meetings a week.
The 26-year-old, selected as one of 28 men competing for Becca Kufrin’s affection on “The Bachelorette,” works as an account sales executive in Los Angeles, according to the show’s website. Boston is his hometown.
“The Bachelorette” finished filming Season 14 last month. As of the June 12 episode, Adim was one of 17 contestants remaining on the program.
He was found guilty on May 21, one week before the season premiered.
Warner Bros., which produces the reality dating show, said Adim lied about facing sexual misconduct charges.
“No one on The Bachelorette production had any knowledge about the incident or charges when Lincoln Adim was cast, and he himself denied ever having engaged in or having been charged with any sexual misconduct,” Warner Bros. said in a statement.
The production company employs a third-party agency that conducts national background checks for “Bachelorette” contestants.
“The report we received did not reference any incident or charge relating to the recent conviction ― or any other charges relating to sexual misconduct,” Warner Bros. said. “We are currently investigating why the report did not contain this information, which we will share when we have it.”
Adim’s conviction is the show’s second casting controversy this season. Contestant Garrett Yrigoyen came under fire after fans found that he had “liked” offensive posts that mocked immigrants, feminists and transgender people on Instagram.
On last season’s “The Bachelorette,” Twitter posts by contestant Lee Garrett’s tweets revealed unfavorable views of black, Muslim and LGBT people. On screen, Garrett clashed with a black contestant.
***
For more on this story, listen to HuffPost’s “Here To Make Friends” podcast:
Subscribe to “Here to Make Friends”: Apple Podcasts / TuneIn / Acast / RadioPublic / Google Play / Stitcher / RSS