On Wednesday the old Bachelor star Colton Underwood appeared as gay in an exclusive interview with Good morning America.
In a conversation with Robin Roberts, Underwood explained that it took him years to process the fact that he was gay and even appear in one of the most heteronormative programs on television while struggling with his sexuality.
“I ran away from myself a long time ago. I hated myself a long time ago,” Underwood said.
Underwood’s years of turmoil and struggle were evident on his face during the interview in which he was visibly emotional and nervous. He explained that his childhood growing up as part of the Catholic Church made him feel that being gay is a sin, and that anti-gay insults he heard during his sports career (he played football at Illinois State University and briefly in the NFL) just added. the shame he felt. He discussed deeply personal issues, referring to suicidal thoughts and self-hatred.
Underwood, 29, said that when he was selected as the Bachelor in 2018, he thanked God for ‘making me’ straight ‘and said he saw his choice as a sign that he could have the right relationship that he thought he needed. He repeatedly discussed his virginity during his season, leading to him being called the “virgin bachelor.” Underwood cleverly embraced the label and wrote an autobiography with a brutal title, The first time, which appeared in March 2020. All of this led to fame for Underwood, but eventually he realized that he had been running away from his true self all along.
The interview immediately became a media sensation and Underwood received a warm embrace from thousands of people. The franchise’s longtime host Chris Harrison (currently interrupted) has returned from a self-imposed Instagram exile to haunt how proud he was of Underwood. Andy Cohen, Dan Levy, JoJo Siwa, and several other gay celebrities congratulated Underwood online. A video from his season featuring comedian Billy Eichner, who told Underwood on the show that he might be the “first gay Bachelor” went viral.
It soon became clear that Underwood’s star was only going to keep rising. Several media outlets reported on Wednesday that Netflix was filming an unwritten series with Underwood about his new life as a gay man with several prominent gay celebrities, including Olympian Gus Kenworthy. According to TMZ, there is even talk of bringing back Underwood as the Bachelor, this time with a group of male suitors.
I am really happy for Underwood and the fact that he is able to live his life in a true and free way. I have no doubt he struggled, and I’m glad he’s in a better place. However, I am upset at the extent to which the media and Underwood himself are sweeping a major problem under the rug: Underwood’s alleged persecution and harassment of his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph, which Underwood has not publicly confirmed or denied. Since the allegations first surfaced last fall, Underwood has been able to successfully write his own story of events through the press, a strategy that has left his reputation virtually intact. Randolph did not achieve the same kind of success in telling what happened.
Last September, Randolph, the winner of Underwood’s, won Bachelor season, filed a temporary restraining order against him, saying he pursued and harassed her after their breakup in May. According to court records, Randolph said Underwood sent disturbing text messages to her, her friends and her family; called her repeatedly; and placed a tracking device on her vehicle to see where she was.
According to Randolph, Underwood also began sneaking into her apartment and her parents’ home in Huntington Beach, California, after they divorced, harassing her over male friends who visited her and texting her like, “I’m going to hold you accountable.” The incidents resulted in Underwood allegedly sending Randolph threatening messages from an anonymous number and then saying that he had also been attacked. According to court records, Randolph then found the tracker on her car and filed the temporary restraint and police report. The court granted the temporary restraining order, but certainly not on the allegations.
Many fans of the program, especially many women who experienced intimate partner violence, were upset and furious about the news. Underwood never publicly commented on the restriction, but tabloid newspapers gave Underwood many opportunities to defend himself. According to Us Weekly, Underwood was “completely blinded” by her allegations with a source painting him as the victim.
‘Colton was absolutely in love with Cassie. It was clear that she did not feel the same about him, which of course upset him. It was really difficult for him, “the source told Us Weekly. ‘She literally divorced him once he was healthy enough to move out [from COVID-19]. The source also told the magazine that Randolph was ‘very nervous about losing her fanbase’ after the split and that Randolph saw her ex ‘shortly after’ the break-up with Underwood. Randolph did not respond to the Us Weekly report.
After the news about Underwood’s restriction and defense broke with tabloids, her Instagram comments were flooded with hate. People accused Randolph of playing Underwood, being ‘manipulative’ and ruining Colton’s life. ‘
Underwood was able to continue to take control of the story of the rift. In November, People reported that Randolph had dropped the restraining order after the former couple were able to resolve the matter. Randolph did not speak in public, but Underwood did.
“Today, Cassie asked the court to dismiss the temporary restraining order against me. The two of us were able to reach a private agreement to address Cassie’s problems,” he told the magazine. “I do not believe that Cassie did anything wrong in applying for the restriction, and I also believe that she acted in good faith. I appreciate everyone’s respect for privacy regarding this matter.”
Meanwhile, Randolph was mostly silent, and a source told Us Weekly that she just wants the public to end up back and forth.
‘Cassie just wants to move on in life with things she’s up to, like establishing her new place. She definitely does not want to raise her past again, “the insider told Us Weekly. ‘It’s exhausting for her to deal with his’ version’ of things, and that’s why she chose not to comment on it anymore. “
Yet Underwood continued to bring the relationship into the public eye. In January, he released a new chapter of his memoirs in which he promised new details about his split from Randolph. He again insists that Randolph blinds him to the disintegration and writes that she’s struggling to find the right words and reasons that make sense. Nobody did it – at least not for me. ‘
Given all that has happened, it is inconceivable that no one, amidst all the reporting on Underwood’s outcome, is asking that the allegations against him be fully accounted for and reflecting on how Randolph was blamed by his defenders online.
On GMA, Roberts – briefly – addressed the temporary restriction in a vote, but only asked Underwood if he had anything to say to Randolph.
“I want to say sorry for how things ended. I messed up,” he said. “I made a lot of bad choices.”
But his apology feels rather hollow. After all, there is a big difference between a ‘bad choice’ and allegedly harassing and stalking someone. While Roberts, and those who participated in the glowing news coverage of Underwood’s interview, were unwilling to ask Underwood to confront the allegations directly, there is one group that has not been forgotten: the fans. Several have pointed out on social media that Underwood has never really accepted his alleged actions, or really taken responsibility for the continued existence of a story that led to online harassment of Randolph by his supporters.
Many criticized the opportunities that arose for him, saying that it was clear that Underwood was trying to restore his image.
“Colton comes out and then announces a Netflix special that looks like it’s an attempt to bury the fact that he chased and harassed his ex-girlfriend, and goes so far as to put a tracker on her car. just * chef coast * we love that. Good job, @netflix, ”wrote one woman Twitter.
This is the rub. Underwood is completely under his right to speak his truth, and even to take advantage of his new status as the first gay leader of the Bachelor franchise.
But he feels it is wrong to do so without acknowledging the real hurt and pain he has caused, for both Randolph and the fans. It’s okay to continue to stay in the public eye and share your truth after making big mistakes, but it feels more like sweeping serious allegations under the rug than a reconciliation.
As for Randolph, she remains silent about Underwood on social media. ‘She was not made aware in advance that he was going to be there GMA “Tell me everything,” an insider told Us Weekly. “To be honest, she has not really had time to navigate how she feels about it.” ●