Reality Steve Apologizes After Demi Burnett Accuses Him of Making Unwanted Sexual Advance

Bachelor Nation's Demi Burnett claimed Reality Steve called her last August to tell her about his "graphic sex dream" about her.

By Elyse Dupre Apr 22, 2021 5:43 PMTags
Watch: Reality Steve Apologizes to Demi Burnett About "Graphic Sex Dream" Call

Reality Steve's Steve Carbone is apologizing to Bachelor Nation's Demi Burnett after she accused him of making an "unwanted and unprompted sexual advance" towards her.

After the Bachelor in Paradise star claimed the blogger called her last August to tell her about his "graphic sex dream" about her, Steve took to Twitter to issue a response. 

"I had no idea at the time that conversation made you feel that way," he tweeted to Demi on April 22. "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."

After a follower noted Steve's apology felt like he was blaming Demi, Steve insisted this wasn't the case. "I'm not blaming her at all," he continued. "I did not know about how she felt until less than an hour ago. So once I found out she felt this way, I apologized to her both personally and here on Twitter."

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Demi spoke out after Steve atoned for some of his past posts that were called out on the April 20 episode of the podcast Chatty Broads. In the episode, Bekah Martinez, who is a fellow member of Bachelor Nation and hosts the podcast with Jess Ambrose, said a Reddit thread recently shared screenshots of past posts from Steve that showed a "misogynistic bias." Bekah said she also "independently verified" these posts.

"What he's done publicly that has been published on his website and his Twitter, etcetera," she said, "are extremely problematic and show an extreme internalized bias towards just women as a whole that I think is really disturbing."

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In his apology, Steve tweeted "there is/was no excuse" for his past writings. "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….Those that have followed me in recent years have recognized the change in my blog, in my tweets, and on my podcast," he wrote in a series of messages on April 20. "While it should have been removed earlier, they are currently being removed from my site."

He then noted he "never shied away from acknowledging these writings" and that he "will always apologize for them."

"I do not think that way anymore & I hope my behavior in recent years has proven that," he continued. "I'm sorry to anyone who had to read those things. I am and will continue to do better."

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However, Demi claimed Steve wasn't living up to this promise. "No Steve! You haven't changed," she wrote in a note posted to Twitter on April 21. "I wasn't going to ever say anything out of fear of criticism. But after being made aware of this tweet and your history of treating women. I had to say something." 

Demi, who appeared on season 23 of The Bachelor and season six of Bachelor in Paradise, then wrote Steve "has a problematic history of gossiping" about the personal lives of the Bachelor Nation cast and "spreading gossip that was false and damaging to those people." 

"This has resulted in a sort of power you have over us," she explained. "Out of fear of you talking about us. Many cast members in Bachelor Nation decide to have a professional relationship with you and be friendly hoping that might prevent you from gossiping about us."

Demi then claimed Steve "outed" her as bisexual before she told her family and said she would respond to Steve's messages to avoid him gossiping about her life any longer. She recalled one particular time when Steve reached out last August.

"You said, 'It was bizarre and something you couldn't put into writing,'" she wrote. "Fearing it was some gossip you heard about me, I agreed to talk on the phone with you. Then you proceeded to tell me about a graphic sex dream you had of me.' I felt uncomfortable and wasn't sure how I should handle your unwanted and unprompted sexual advance. So, I laughed and tried to get off the phone with you as quickly as possible." 

She continued, "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. It felt gross. I don't think I deserved to have you make me feel this way. I don't think these other women, who you so disgustingly mocked for cheap laughs and website traffic deserved it either."

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The reality TV star said she was initially "afraid to say anything out of fear" of Steve's 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 wrote. "You haven't changed Steve and future women don't deserve your harassment either." 

She then shared a photo of what she claimed to be a screenshot of their text conversation following the alleged phone call "where you ask me to keep it a secret while continuing to emphasize your enjoyment."

After Demi spoke out, she received words of support from her fellow Bachelor Nation stars. "That took a lot of courage to share Demi," Krystal Nielson tweeted. "Proud of you." Added Nick Viall, "Love you friend. Here for you."