Colton Underwood, the former “Bachelor” star, says he is gay

“This year has been a lot for a lot of people and it has probably made a lot of people look at themselves and realize who they are,” Underwood said. “I ran away from myself a lot, I hated myself a lot. I’m gay. I got along with it earlier this year, and the next step in all of this was a way to let people know. I’m the happiest and healthier in my life. That’s what the world means to me. “

The former star of ABC’s “The Bachelor” said he wished he had accepted the truth earlier.

Clare Crawley comes out of

“I had a number of responses, and the most common underlying was, ‘I wish you’d told me earlier,’ and when I heard that I wanted to trust my friends and family a little more,” Underwood said. “The only reason I sit with you today is because I have the love and support of my friends and family.

Underwood played in season 23 of the popular dating show. At that time, he made headlines because he was open to remaining a virgin. The Indiana native was named after the Indianapolis Colts and continued to play for three NFL teams, including the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles and Oakland Raiders.
Previously, he had a high quality relationship with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman. During his time on the show, he quickly fell in love with contestant Cassie Randolph and, after the show ended, they gave up until April 2020. Randolph filed a restraining order at the time against Underwood, but she eventually gave up.

Underwood talked about the question of his sexuality in his book, “First Time: Finding Me and Looking for Love on Reality TV.”

In it he said that the meeting with Randolph helped him realize that he was right.

“[The show taught me] that I’m right and I’m very, very attracted to Cassie and women – but it would have been nice if it had been the other way around, “Underwood told Entertainment Tonight.” I think that’s the biggest message I have for people. “

Following its announcement on Wednesday, GLAAD issued a statement in support of Colton.

“Every LGBTQ person’s journey to discovering and accepting their true selves is different, and Colton Underwood’s decision to share his truth with the public reminds us that there is no set timeline for exit,” said GLAAD talent chief Anthony Allen Ramos. “Given the large and loyal fandom who knows Colton from The Bachelor, coming out and discussing his faith will open our eyes, hopefully, to the millions of proud and proud LGBTQ people who are also believers.”

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