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'Bachelor' star Demi Burnett says Reality Steve made an 'unwanted and unprompted sexual advance' towards her

Apr 24, 2021, 02:52 IST
Insider
Demi Burnett.John Wolfsohn/Getty Images)
  • Demi Burnett says blogger Steve Carbone called her about a "graphic sex dream" he'd had about her.
  • She shared screenshots of a text exchange that appeared to confirm the conversation last August.
  • Carbone, who's known for his "Bachelor" spoilers under the moniker Reality Steve, has since apologized to Burnett.
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"Bachelor" star Demi Burnett has accused Steve Carbone, the reality TV blogger known as "Reality Steve," for making an "unwanted and unprompted sexual advance" towards her.

On Wednesday, Burnett, who appeared on Colton Underwood's season in 2019, wrote on Twitter that Carbone called her last August to tell her about a "graphic sex dream" he'd had about her.

"I was always friendly to you and you took my friendliness as an excuse to trick me into listening to your sexual fantasies about me," Burnett wrote. "It felt gross. I don't think I deserved to have you make me feel this way."

She added, "I was afraid to say anything out of fear of retribution but then I thought of the many other future women to come on this show and I don't think they deserve it either."

She also shared a screenshot of a text exchange she said happened after the phone conversation. In it, Carbone said he hoped he could trust her not to tell anyone.

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"I wanted to share it with you bc it was so random and so funny," he wrote.

"I got u no worries," she responded.

He later added, "It was f-ing hot haha. If it sucked I wouldn't have told you ha ha."

Burnett shared her experience after Carbone's old, sexist content was discussed on a podcast

Burnett's comments were spurred by a recent episode of the "Chatty Broads" podcast, co-hosted by former "Bachelor" contestant Bekah Martinez.

During the episode, Martinez and her co-host, Jess Ambrose, spoke about old episode recaps by Carbone that focused on a contestant from season 19 of "The Bachelor," Jade Roper. In them, Carbone made misogynistic comments about Roper's past - she modeled for Playboy before the show - and also frequently stated that he believed Roper and her then-boyfriend Tanner Tolbert would break up. They are now married with three kids.

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In response to the podcast, Carbone tweeted an apology on Tuesday.

"Wanted to address my past writings that were brought to light again today on a podcast. There is/was no excuse for them. I'm embarrassed I thought that way, I'm embarrassed I wrote it, and ever since, I've done whatever I could to change that line of thinking," he wrote.

He added that he is currently removing the old recaps from his site, and that "I am and will continue to do better."

In response, Burnett shared her experience on Twitter. She said that, to her, it did not seem like Carbone had changed at all.

Carbone apologized to Burnett, saying he 'had no idea at the time that conversation made' her uncomfortable

His apology, which was on Twitter, continued: "I am apologizing now knowing how uncomfortable I made you feel. I crossed boundaries I didn't think at the time I was crossing. I did not know this until today. So for that, I hope you can accept my apology."

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Carbone also responded to someone who questioned the validity of the screenshots Burnett posted, by shutting them down fully.

"That's my text. She's not making it up. Nor am I trying to pretend it didn't happen. I acknowledge it and apologize for making her feel that way," he wrote.

Burnett has not publicly responded to Carbone.

This isn't the first time the blogger has faced scrutiny

Back in September 2018, Carbone frequently spread misinformation about "Bachelor" contestant Jenna Cooper, accusing her of cheating on her then-fiancé and fellow "Bachelor" star Jordan Kimball, of having a "sugar daddy," and planning an elaborate con to become more famous. Cooper denied it all, but it still led to their breakup.

Two years later, Carbone retracted the entire story, but the damage had been done.

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"I was pretty much losing hope, getting attacked on every social media platform every day," Cooper told Insider's Margot Harris in May 2020. "People were literally telling me that I deserve to die. So I felt like I couldn't go out in public, couldn't get a job. I wondered how it would affect any future relationship. I didn't even know what to do next."

At the time, Carbone apologized to Cooper, and he continued to be a prominent figure in Bachelor Nation. It remains to be seen what effect Burnett's accusation will have on the blogger's career and access to "Bachelor" stars.

Burnett and Carbone have not responded to Insider's request for comment.

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