Colton Underwood Comes Out in 'Deeply Personal Interview' with 'Good Morning America'
UPDATED: On Wednesday morning, former "Bachelor" star Colton Underwood sat down with Robin Roberts for a deeply personal interview, announcing that he is gay.
During the interview, Underwood was visibly moved as he revealed the truths he discovered about himself while in quarantine.
"Obviously this year's been a lot for a lot of people, and it's probably made a lot of people look 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. For me, I've ran from myself for a long time and I've hated myself for a long time, and I'm gay. I came to terms with that that earlier this year and have been processing it," he told Roberts.
"The next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. I'm still nervous, but it's been a journey for sure," he continued.
On Tuesday, Underwood was reported to make special announcement as the he sits down with Robin Roberts for a candid "Good Morning America" interview. Fans were quick to ask "Is Colten Underwood Gay?"
The teaser offered no additional information about the pre-recorded interview, but it was advertised as a "deeply personal interview" with the tagline "Colton Underwood: In His Own Words." Nonetheless, it appears that Underwood has plenty to say in the forthcoming "GMA" interview.
"You want people to know something, so can you tell us what's on your mind that you'd like to share?" In a promo released on Tuesday afternoon, Roberts asks Underwood this question.
Underwood says, "Yeah," taking a deep breath. "It's been a journey, for sure," he adds.
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Is Colton Underwood Gay?
Although the intent of the interview is unknown, Underwood has been the subject of a lot of tabloid attention in the years since she starred in "The Bachelor." He was involved in personal legal matters with Cassie Randolph, his ex-girlfriend. He's also spoken out a lot about his time on the reality dating show, especially about how his sexuality was overplayed.
Underwood, a former pro football player, was dubbed "The Virgin Bachelor" and his virginity was a major plot point during his tenure on the ABC show.
After his time on "The Bachelor," Underwood has spoken out about the media's portrayal of his sexuality. He told Variety after his finale aired that he did not feel exploited, but that his sexuality was "overplayed."
Underwood published a book called "The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV" in 2020, in which he discussed his time on "The Bachelor," his parents' divorce, his sexuality, his marriages, and his high-profile break-up with gymnast Aly Raisman. He revealed in the book that as a child, people wondered if he was gay because he was a virgin and a star football player.
"It was challenging for me to be standing up for my values and my beliefs, and looking back now, growing up in sort of a hyper-masculine culture as football or a conservative family - which I love them and I share some of the same values and beliefs as them - but it was still a struggle for me to articulate to people or to explain to people, and I always felt like I was on the defense," Underwood told Variety. "It was one of those things when you hear it so often and so much, you start believing it or you start questioning things. It really did affect me and it really was a weird time in my life, and I internalized a lot of it because I had nobody to talk to and nobody to vent to about it
Viewers remember Underwood jumping over the fence at the end of his season, which has gone down in history as one of the most unforgettable and dramatic moments in "Bachelor" history. Following the tumultuous finale, Underwood ended up with contestant Cassie Randolph. The pair dated for about a year and a half before splitting up in 2020.
Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood shortly after the divorce, accusing him of stalking and harassing her. She filed a police report alleging that he had installed a tracking device on her car and that he would turn up at her apartment and her parents' house without warning. Randolph later dropped the restraining order against Underwood and ordered that the police investigation be dropped.
At the time, Underwood issued a statement to the press, stating that the two had worked out their differences privately.
He told Variety that the aim of his book was to "take ownership and get control of my life back, or feel like I was getting some control back in my life...rather than allowing someone else to have control on a TV screen or behind a camera."
Underwood, a former member of the NFL's San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, first made waves in 2017 when he ended his high-profile friendship with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman.
He finished fourth on Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette in 2018, and after a summer stint on Bachelor in Paradise, he was declared the Bachelor's lead in September 2018.