FORMER Bachelor star Colton Underwood shocked fans when he announced on April 14, 2021, that he was gay.
The reality star had been close to getting engaged to Bachelor contestant Cassie Randolph in season 23 of the show.
Who is Colton Underwood?
Born January 26, 1992, Underwood, 30, is known as an American reality television personality star and former NFL player who was on the practice squad for the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles.
Underwood made his reality television debut on season 14 of The Bachelorette and was then named season 23’s Bachelor for the franchise.
Underwood hails from Indiana and graduated from Illinois State University.
He also has an estimated net worth of $1million.
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Did Colton Underwood get a Netflix series?
After Underwood came out as gay on national television, Netflix announced a new series called "Coming Out Colton," about his journey.
"Reality star Colton Underwood embarks on a journey to embrace his life as a member of the LGBTQ community," the show's description reads.
Season 1 made its debut on December 3, 2021.
What did Colton Underwood say about being gay?
Underwood got candid with Good Morning America host Robin Roberts and dished about his sexuality on the show.
He spoke about his struggle with accepting who he was, saying: "This year has been a lot for a lot of people.
“It's probably made a lot of people look in the mirror and confront what they were running from.
"For me, I've run from myself for a long time, and I've hated myself for a long time. I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year.
Adding: “The next step in all of this was letting people know. I'm still nervous, it's been a journey for sure."
He recalled a particular experience in high school that he battled with throughout his life, in which he was "super insecure" and "thought he was gay."
The reality star revealed his classmates thought he may be gay as they questioned his faith and abstinence from sex, writing: "It was one of those things where you hear something so often, you start believing it.
"I thought, maybe I am gay. The captain of the football team should be having sex and drinking, right? But I wasn’t."
Just days before the release of his Netflix special, Underwood discussed his sexuality again, admitting that he might not have come out if it weren't for Cassie Randolph.
“I think that was sort of a huge wake-up call," Underwood told US Weekly when talking about the drama with his ex. "I’m sad that it even got to that point to where that had to be my wake-up call and me affecting other people in my life was sort of the moment that I realized I had to come out.
“Obviously, I wish I would have had the courage to come out without having to be pushed.”
Adding: "When it boiled down to it, it was because I wasn’t myself. I wasn’t being true to who I was, and I wasn’t in a really good place.”
Who is Colton Underwood’s ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph?
Cassie Randolph, 26, is known as a speech-language pathologist and was the winner of Underwood’s season of The Bachelor.
The reality star hails from Orange County, California, and was a former substitute ESL teacher at the Huntington Beach Union High School District.
The former pair hit it off instantly and dated all through the end of The Bachelor but eventually called it quits in May 2020.
Following news of their split, a source told People that the two had different priorities and ultimately knew they weren't going to work.
"Colton and Cassie just weren’t on the same page. Colton really wanted to settle down and get married – he’s been ready for a long time.
"And Cassie just wasn’t ready. They both knew it wasn’t going to work," the source said.
Who is Colton Underwood's fiancé Jordan C Brown?
On February 28, 2022 Underwood revealed he was engaged to political strategist Jordan C Brown.
Underwood told PEOPLE magazine about their engagement after dating less than one year.
The couple spent a romantic weekend getaway in Big Sur, California just after Colton's birthday.
"I couldn't have pictured a more beautiful place to celebrate an amazing milestone in my life and relationship."
He concluded: "I'm extremely happy! 2021 was the most transformative year of my life.
"Starting 2022 off with my best friend, teammate and now fiancé is something I never thought was going to be possible."
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