Former ‘Bachelor’ Colton Underwood Comes Out as Gay: ‘I’ve Ran From Myself for a Long Time’
Former Bachelor star Colton Underwood has come out as gay.
On Wednesday (April 14), Underwood came out publicly in an exclusive pre-taped interview with Good Morning America's Robin Roberts.
"I've ran from myself for a long time. I've hated myself for a long time," Underwood admitted. "And I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know."
The reality TV star added that he is still nervous about his next steps but is excited about the journey.
For many folks, including Underwood, 2020 caused people to "look at themselves in the mirror and figure out who they are and what they've been running from or what they've been putting off in their lives."
Underwood went through a terrible period before getting his "wake-up call," which took place when he realized that he "would've rather died" than say that he's gay. He told Roberts that he struggled with "suicidal thoughts," but that the experience ultimately led him to "take back control" of his life.
Underwood shared that at age six he "just felt different" and knew that he was gay, but couldn't process it until high school when he realized that he "was more attracted to the boys and the men" than the girls at his school.
While Underwood admitted he has not had an "emotional connection" with another man yet, he wants to find a partner in the future.
He also revealed that when he was named The Bachelor, he believed he would be able to marry a wife and have children. He recalled "praying to God" after he found out that he was cast on the show and "thanking Him for making me straight."
"I've thought a lot about this too, of, 'Do I regret being the Bachelor and do I regret handling it the way that I did?' I do," Underwood said. "I do think I could've handled it better, I'll say that."
Opening up about his his former castmate and ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, Underwood said he feels terrible about the situation that he put her in. "It made it more confusing for me. I loved everything about her," he told Roberts "I wish that I would’ve been courageous enough to fix myself before breaking anyone else."
Randolph and Underwood met on Season 23 of the reality dating show. They broke up in August 2019 but quickly reunited. In May 2020, they called it quits for good. Randolph filed for a restraining order and claimed that Underwood sent her unsettling text messages and put a tracking device on her car. In November, Randolph dropped the restraining order.
According to TMZ, Underwood has secured a reality television deal with Netflix. The outlet reports that a camera crew has been following him for the past few weeks and that the show will focus "on his life as a gay man." Several LGBTQ+ celebrity figures such as Olympian Gus Kenworthy are reportedly involved in the project.