Nickelodeon Resort Investigating ‘Bachelor’ Alum Melissa Rycroft’s Illness in the Dominican

The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft’s mysterious illness is at the center of an investigation at the Nickelodeon Hotel & Resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, where she was recently vacationing with her family.

Nickelodeon Resort staff told TMZ Friday they are still in contact with Rycroft and hired an outside firm to look at their cleaning and sanitary practices to see if there is a link to her illness.

Sources close to Rycroft said she did not spend her entire trip at the resort, so it is not clear if her illness was contracted there or elsewhere in the Dominican Republic. The site also reports that she took extra precautions by not drinking tap water and staying away from the hotel mini bar. She did have some drinks from the drink cart and drinks at other bars at the resort.

Notably, Rycroft, 36, is the only member of her family who got sick. Her husband, Tye Strickland, only drank beer during the trip, so one theory is Rycroft drank tainted alcohol. The couple are parents to Ava, 8, Beckett, 5, and Cayson, 3, and all three did not get sick either.

Sources close to the resort staff told TMZ executives are “freaking out” because many others have cancelled reservations recently. It is not clear if this is connected to Rycroft’s illness or concern over recent tourist deaths in the Dominican.

The resort is treating Rycroft’s illness as an “isolated incident” and they are taking “all possible measures to ensure a safe and healthy vacation environment, exceeding preventative measures and enforcing strict sanitation protocols.”

Rycroft got sick during the second day of their trip. Her representative said earlier this week she “got an upset stomach on the second day of vacation, but it passed. Once they come home, she got severe cramping. It has lasted for over a week, and she’s currently getting tested for possible parasites and any other infections. She’s assuming it’s something food borne, but no one else in her family is ill.”

The former Dancing with the Stars contestant has kept fans up to date on her health on Instagram. On Thursday, she shared a selfie from her couch, confirming, “I’m not dead” in the caption.

Rycroft’s illness came a few weeks after Shark Tank star Barbara Corcoran said her brother John died while vacationing in the Dominican Republic in late April. Corcoran said John suffered from an existing heart condition.

Rycroft is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader who appeared on The Bachelor Season 13 and Dancing With The Stars Seasons 8 and 15.

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