Colton Underwood is reportedly returning to reality television for a new Netflix series after the former Bachelor came out as gay Wednesday in an interview with Good Morning America. Production has already begun on a new series that will focus on Underwood living his life as an out gay man, according to The Hollywood Reporter, and filming is already weeks underway. The series, which will contain multiple episodes, will also reportedly feature an appearance from Olympian Gus Kenworthy.
The Bachelor alum revealed on Wednesday’s GMA that after coming to terms with his sexuality this year, he was ready to come out. “I’ve ran from myself for a long time. I’ve hated myself for a long time, and I’m gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it,” the reality star said. “The next step in all of this was letting people know. I’m still nervous. It’s been a journey, for sure.”
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Calling himself “the happiest and healthiest [he’s] ever been,” the former pro football player admitted to going to a dark place before ultimately coming to this point. “I think overall the reason why now is because I got to place where I didn’t think I was ever going to share this. I would have rather died than say I’m gay,” he shared, adding that he previously “didn’t have the intentions of waking up” one morning in Los Angeles, which proved as a “wake up call.”
Underwood’s season of The Bachelor focused heavily on the leading man’s virginity and culminated with him and contestant Cassie Randolph agreeing to date without an engagement. The two split in May 2020, but things got ugly months later when Randolph filed for a restraining order against Underwood in September, alleging that he had planted a tracking device on her car, had been showing up at her home uninvited and was sending her concerning text messages. In November, she would drop the restraining order.
“It’s hard for me to articulate what my emotions were going through that relationship with her, because I obviously had an internal fight going on,” Underwood explained of his actions in Wednesday’s interview. “I would just say that I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I’m sorry for any pain and emotional stress I caused, I wish it wouldn’t have happened the way it did. I wish that I would’ve been courageous enough to fix myself before I broke anybody else.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.