It’s been a big day for former Bachelor contestant and NFL player Colton Underwood.
First, he came out as gay in an emotional pre-taped interview with Robin Roberts that ran on Good Morning America this morning. Not long after, Variety reported that Underwood has also been inked for his own reality show to appear on Netflix. The unscripted series reportedly follows the life of Underwood living publicly as a gay man and athlete, and is already in production. Olympian Gus Kenworth will reportedly appear in the series as well as his “gay guide.” According to TMZ, “several other prominent members of the LBGTQ+ community have been in Colton’s corner throughout this process.” They are expected to make appearances on the series.
“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,” Underwood told Roberts. “For me, I’ve ran from myself for a long time and I’ve hated myself for a long time, and I’m gay.”
He first appeared as a contestant on The Bachelor in 2018’s season 14, and later appeared on Bachelor in Paradise season 4 before leading The Bachelor’s season 23 the following year. He was famously marketed as the “virgin Bachelor” and did not propose to Cassie Randolph even after giving her his final rose. The relationship took a decidedly nasty and public turn when Randolph accused Underwood of stalking her. She filed a restraining order against her former onscreen paramour, although she eventually dropped the order.
In the restraining order, Randolph accused Underwood of harassing her. She also said he placed a tracking device on her vehicle to track her, and once her brothers “saw Mr. Underwood in the alley outside Ms. Randolph’s bedroom window at two in the morning.”
Underwood, who grew up with a strong Catholic background, later said he regretted his time on the show, but said the time spent on the Bachelor franchises helped him confront his sexuality. Before gaining fame for his virginal dating adventures, Underwood had been a tight end at Illinois State, and later with the NFL’s San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders, and Philadelphia Eagles.
The new Netflix series will reportedly center Underwood’s intersectional experiences as a both gay man and professional athlete.
Via Out
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