Former Bachelor star Colton Underwood came out as gay.
On Wednesday (April 14), Underwood came out as gay in an exclusive pre-recorded interview with Robin Roberts of Good Morning America.
“I ran away from myself for a long time. I hated myself for a long time,” Underwood admitted. “And I’m gay. And I accepted that earlier this year and dealt with it. And the next step in all of that was to let people know.” He added that he was still nervous about his next steps, but was excited about the trip.
For most people, including Underwood, 2020 has made people “look in the mirror and find out who they are and what they have been running away from or what they have carried over into their lives.”
Underwood went through a terrible time before he received his “wake up call” – that is, when he realized that he “would have preferred to die” rather than say he is gay. He told Roberts that he struggled with “suicidal thoughts”, but that ultimately led to “taking back control” of his life.
Underwood said that at the age of six he “just felt different” and knew he was gay but couldn’t do it until high school when he realized he ” was more attracted to boys and men “than to girls in his school.
He believed that when he was called The Bachelor, he could marry a woman and have children. He recalled that he “prayed to God” after finding out that he had been chosen for the show and that he “thanked him for making me well.”
“I’ve thought about that a lot too, like, ‘Do I regret being single and regret taking care of it the way I did?’ I do, ”he revealed. “I think I could have handled this better, I’ll say it.”
As of now, the reality TV former has said he hasn’t had an “emotional connection” with another man but wants to find a partner in the future.
According to TMZ, Underwood also entered into a reality TV deal with Netflix. The outlet reported that a film crew had been following him for a few weeks and that the show “will focus on his life as a gay.” Several LGBTQ + personalities like Olympian Gus Kenworthy are said to be involved in the project.
