Colton Underwood, former star of “The Bachelor,” is set to sit down with Robin Roberts for a revealing “Good Morning America” interview on Wednesday.
“There is something that you want people to know, so can you tell us what is on your heart that you want to share?” Roberts asks Underwood in a promo that was released on Tuesday afternoon.
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With a deep breath, Underwood responds, “Yeah.” He then says, “It’s been a journey, for sure.”
The promo did not divulge any further details about the pre-taped sit-down, but was billed as a “deeply personal interview” with the tagline, “Colton Underwood: In His Own Words.”
Underwood starred as the lead of “The Bachelor” Season 23, which aired in 2019. He was first introduced to viewers as a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season of “The Bachelorette” in 2018.
While the purpose of the interview is unclear, in the years after starring as “The Bachelor,” Underwood has been surrounded by a fair amount of tabloid chatter. He was embroiled in personal legal matters between him and his ex-girlfriend, Cassie Randolph. He also has spoken out quite extensively about his time on the reality dating show, in regards to his sexuality being overplayed.
A former pro football player, Underwood was marketed as “The Virgin Bachelor,” and his virginity was used as a key storyline throughout his time on the ABC series.
Ever since “The Bachelor,” Underwood has spoken against the narrative that surrounded his sexuality. After his finale aired, he told Variety that he did not feel exploited, but he felt his sexuality was “overplayed.”
In 2020, Underwood wrote a book, “The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV,” where he wrote about his time in “The Bachelor” spotlight, his parents’ divorce, his sexuality, his relationships and high-profile break-up with gymnast Aly Raisman. In the book, he revealed that growing up, people would question whether he was gay, since he was a virgin and a star football player.
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“It was challenging for me to be standing up for my values and my beliefs, and looking back now, growing up in sort of a hyper-masculine culture as football or a conservative family — which I love them and I share some of the same values and beliefs as them — but it was still a struggle for me to articulate to people or to explain to people, and I always felt like I was on the defense,” Underwood told Variety in an interview in 2020. “It was one of those things when you hear it so often and so much, you start believing it or you start questioning things. It really did affect me and it really was a weird time in my life, and I internalized a lot of it because I had nobody to talk to and nobody to vent to about it.”
Viewers recall Underwood jumping over the fence towards the end of his season, which has become one of the most memorable and dramatic moments in “Bachelor” history. After the turbulent ending, Underwood ultimately ended up with contestant Cassie Randolph. The couple was together for roughly a year-and-a-half, before breaking up in 2020.
Shortly after the breakup, Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood, accusing him of stalking and harassing her. She filed a police report with claims that he had put a tracking device on her car, and alleged he would show up uninvited to her apartment and her parents’ home. Later, Randolph dismissed the restraining order against Underwood, and requested to drop the police investigation.
At the time, Underwood had released a statement to the media, explaining the pair resolved the matter privately. “Cassie asked the court to dismiss the temporary restraining order against me,” he said. “The two of us were able to reach a private agreement to address any of Cassie’s concerns. I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith. I appreciate everyone’s respect for privacy regarding this matter.”
When he released his book, he told Variety that its purpose was “to take ownership and get control of my life back, or feel like I was having some control back in my life…instead of allowing someone else to have that control on a TV screen or behind a camera.”
With the upcoming “GMA” interview, it appears Underwood has more to say.
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