The biggest Colton-related plot point the season focused on his virginity, which he revealed during the show, worrying it would be a “deal breaker.”Īfter being cut from The Bachelorette, Underwood appeared on the summer 2018 edition of Bachelor in Paradise, where he briefly courted another former contestant.
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He was portrayed by the series as a strapping, boyish former football player (he had a brief stint in the NFL) who was committed to his religion and to charity work. Underwood, who previously dated gymnast Aly Raisman, made his reality television debut in 2018 when he was cast on The Bachelorette. After Underwood’s GMA interview, the executive producers of the franchise released a statement saying they were “inspired” by his “courage to embrace and pursue his authentic self.” They continued, “As firm believers in the power of love, we celebrate Colton’s journey in the LGBTQIA+ community every step of the way.” A brief refresher on Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph
The franchise has also presented a very narrow view of sexuality and romance, one that rarely seems to consider the LGBTQ community it has only ever featured one same-sex couple, on its Bachelor in Paradise series in 2019.
The most recent season of The Bachelor - the first to feature a Black man in the lead role - exposed its many shortcomings on race. Like all reality television shows, it has a tenuous relationship with real life. The Bachelor franchise has never been particularly nuanced in addressing complex social and cultural issues. “I literally remember praying to God the morning I found out I was the Bachelor and thanking him for making me straight,” he told Roberts. Underwood was raised Catholic and is a devout Christian, which he said has weighed heavily on his struggles to accept his sexuality, as has his identity as a football player. “He is excited to start this new journey and wants a clean slate,” one anonymous source told E! News. Indeed, Underwood, The Bachelor, and much of the media seems ready to move on. Underwood has never candidly addressed Randolph’s allegations, and GMA failed to take the opportunity to ask for answers. And so to many Bachelor fans, the GMA apology felt vague and half-hearted. To be sure, being gay is not an excuse for the way Underwood is alleged to have treated Randolph, who said he sent her “unsettling text messages” and placed a tracking device on her car. “I just wish I had not dragged people into my own mess of figuring out who I was.” “I do think I could have handled it better,” he said. She later dropped the request.ĭuring his GMA interview, Underwood acknowledged that some of his past behavior, including his decision to appear on The Bachelor and his actions during his time on the show, had been questionable. (Even if you’re not a Bachelor fan, you may remember the infamous fence-jumping scene.) The pair wound up dating, but after their 2020 split, Randolph accused Underwood of stalking her and requested a restraining order. His stint as the Bachelor was a rocky one: Much of the promotional material around his season and the conversation during it focused on Underwood’s virginity, and his season ended with him choosing to pursue Cassie Randolph, who tried to break up with him and leave the show. Underwood appeared as a contestant on season 14 of The Bachelorette as one of Becca Kufrin’s suitors and was subsequently cast as the lead of season 23 of The Bachelor, which aired in 2019. I’m still nervous, but yeah, it’s been a journey for sure.” “I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it, and the next step in all of this is sort of letting people know. And I’m gay,” Underwood told host Robin Roberts. Underwood, 29, made the announcement in an interview with Good Morning America that aired on Wednesday.
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Colton Underwood, one of the most memorable, albeit problematic, stars of the Bachelor TV franchise, has come out as gay.