Bachelor Nation Supported Colton In The Sweetest Way After He Came Out
Hours after his emotional appearance on Good Morning America, Bachelor Nation's reactions to Colton Underwood coming out could not be more supportive. In an April 14 interview with anchor Robin Roberts, Underwood shared an update about his sexuality. "I’m gay," he said. "And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it."
During the interview, Underwood called himself "the happiest and healthiest" he's ever been, and shared some reflections about his experience in the Bachelor franchise. "Do I regret being the Bachelor, and do I regret handling it the way that I did? I do. I do think I could've handled it better. I just wish I hadn't dragged people into my own mess of figuring out who I was," he explained. "I genuinely mean that. But I also, at the same time, like, that I could sit here and say I'm sorry to all those women, I could also say thank you. Because without them, and without the Bachelor franchise, I don't know if this would have ever came out."
Plenty of former Bachelor Nation leads and contestants, as well as embattled former host Chris Harrison, have spoken out with messages in support of Underwood. Here are some of the sweetest:
Tayshia Adams
“Tayshia is very happy that Colton is able to now live his life openly and without fear of sharing who he is,” a rep for Adams, who was in the top three on Underwood's season of The Bachelor, told Page Six. “There is absolutely no ill will — only support for Colton, his willingness to share his truth, and the additional representation for the LGBTQ community.”
Onyeka Ehie
Ehie, another alum from Underwood's season, shared two messages of support via Twitter. "Happy for @colton for speaking his truth. We support you," she wrote in her first tweet alongside a red heart emoji. Then, alongside a smiley emoji she added, "Just a reminder that homophobic comments will not accepted or tolerated today or any day. You’ve been warned."
Catherine Agro
Another one of his exes from The Bachelor, Catherine Agro, shared her message of support in her Instagram Stories. "Proud of you for having the courage to come out and be honest with yourself and the world," she wrote.
Executive Producers of 'The Bachelor'
“We are so inspired by Colton Underwood’s courage to embrace and pursue his authentic self," the executive producers of The Bachelor franchise said in a press release. "As firm believers in the power of love, we celebrate Colton’s journey in the LGBTQIA+ community every step of the way.”
While Underwood has received an outpouring of support from fans celebrating his sexuality, many people are still critical of his alleged behavior toward his ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph. In the months following their breakup in 2020, she filed and then dropped a restraining order against him. Per the restraining order request that was obtained by People, Randolph claimed Underwood put a tracking device on her car, loitered outside her bedroom window at 2 a.m., and sent several distressing text messages, including one in which he allegedly pretended to be a stalker.
On Nov. 3, Underwood told People, "I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith."
He had more to say to Randolph during his Good Morning America appearance. "I'd like to say sorry for how things ended," he said when asked what he'd like to say to Randolph. "I messed up. I made a lot of bad choices."
He also shared that he did truly love her. "And that only made it harder and more confusing for me," he noted. "If I'm being very honest, I loved everything about her. It's hard to articulate exactly what my emotions were going through that relationship, because I obviously had an internal fight going on. I would just say that I'm sorry from the bottom of my heart. I'm sorry for the pain and emotional stress I caused. I wish it wouldn't have happened the way it did. I wish I would've been courageous enough to fix myself before I broke anybody else."
While supportive of Underwood's revelation, some Bachelor Nation stars, like Mike Johnson, have also voiced their support for Randolph during this time.
If you or someone you know is considering self-harm or experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, call 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1(800) 799-SAFE (7233) or visit thehotline.org.
