Bachelor star Colton Underwood comes out as gay
A former star of The Bachelor reality Television show has come out as gay.
Colton Underwood starred in Season 23 of the popular US show, which is situated around a single bachelor tasked with selecting a wife from a pool of romantic interests, in 2019.
He also appeared on spin-offs The Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise.
"I've ran from myself for a long period. I've hated myself for a long period," he told Robin Roberts on HELLO America.
"And I'm gay. And I came to terms with that earlier this season and also have been processing it. And the next phase in all of the was type of letting persons know."
Before getting into a career the truth is TV, Mr Underwood played American football and had trials for NFL teams before his career in the activity ended in 2016.
In The Bachelor, he chose contestant Cassie Randolph, but in the end chose to not propose to her. The pair split this past year.
Ms Randolph then filed for a restraining order against Mr Underwood, accusing him of stalking her, but she later requested the authorities investigation be dropped.
Mr Underwood said he decided to come out following the pandemic hit, adding that it was a period which forced persons to "look at themselves in the mirror and work out who they are and what they are running from or what they are putting off within their lives".
He said he previously been aware of his sexuality for years, knowing he "just felt different" from the age of six.
Mr Underwood said he "learned in the Bible that gay is a sin" in Catholic school. During his time playing football, he recalled the word "gay" held "a connotation of negativity".
"I think there's lots of things, when I look back, I'm like, 'No wonder I held it in,'" he said.
