Colton Underwood on the Calculated Secrecy of His Past

Speaking on the podcast We Need to Talk, the reality television personality detailed the strict criteria he set for himself before publicly coming out as gay in 2021. He explained that by choosing partners who had as much to lose as he did, he created an environment where silence was mutually assured. This period of experimentation occurred alongside his high-profile television career, a time he now reflects on with a desire for more authenticity.

Underwood also addressed the intense scrutiny surrounding his virginity during his 2019 stint on The Bachelor. Producers leaned heavily into the "Virgin Bachelor" narrative, a storyline he admitted feeling trapped by. Beyond the fear of public exposure, he cited a struggle with his faith and a persistent, internalized hope that traditional milestones—engagement and marriage to a woman—would eventually align his sexuality with societal expectations. Since his 2021 interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America, he has continued to process the years he spent suppressing his identity, noting that he was actively running from himself throughout his time in the NFL and reality television.