Colton Underwood, who featured in Season 23 of The Bachelor, came out to Robin Roberts on Good Morning America recently. In a heartfelt conversation with Roberts, the reality television star and former professional football player admitted that the past year had forced him to look at himself and figure out who he was. “I’ve ran from myself for a long time, I’ve hated myself for a long time. I’m gay. I came to terms with that earlier this year.” He later said that this was “the happiest and healthiest” he’d ever been. His announcement makes Underwood the first openly gay contestant in the show’s history.
The season of The Bachelor with Underwood particularly stands out due to his openness about being a virgin. Through the course of the show, he hit it off with Cassie Randolph and after the season finale, they dated till April 2020.
During his interview with Roberts, Underwood shared that he had heard the gamut of responses when he came out to friends and family. He admitted that he wished that he had had more faith in how his family would respond. “The only reason I’m sitting down with you today is because I have the love and support of my friends and family,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Underwood has talked about his sexuality. He has admitted to questioning it in his book, “The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV.”
After the interview aired, GLAAD released a statement that supported Underwood saying that his story will show that there isn’t a timeline for coming out. They also mentioned that Colton has always been a person of faith and that his journey would open the eyes of his fans to “to the millions of out and proud LGBTQ people who are also people of faith.”
