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Colton Underwood revealed that when the producers chose him as the lead for The Bachelor, he breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn’t gay. In an interview with Good Morning America on April 14, the former NFL player and first “Virgin Bachelor” explained how torn he was about his sexuality.

The Bachelor Colton Underwood came out as gay on Good Morning America
Colton Underwood on ‘Good Morning America’ | Paula Lobo/Walt Disney Television/ Getty Images

Colton Underwood came out as gay on ‘Good Morning America’

Former Bachelor lead Colton Underwood appeared on Good Morning America on April 14 to tell the world that he is gay. The 29-year-old met with Robin Roberts to explain what he learned about himself during quarantine. 

“Obviously, this year’s been a lot for a lot of people,” Underwood began. “It’s probably made a lot of people look themselves in the mirror and figure out who they are and what they’ve been running from or what they’ve been putting off in their lives.”

Underwood and the winner of his season, Cassie Randolph, broke up in May 2020. She took care of him when he was sick with COVID-19. However, the couple went their separate ways after he recovered.

“For me, I’ve run from myself for a long time, and I’ve hated myself for a long time, and I’m gay,” Underwood told the outlet. “I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. The next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. I’m still nervous, but it’s been a journey for sure.”

Colton Underwood thanked God that he wasn’t gay when the producers chose him as ‘The Bachelor’

In the interview, Underwood also revealed why it was so important that the producers chose him as The Bachelor lead for season 23.

“I literally remember praying to God the morning I found out that I was The Bachelor and thanking Him for making me straight,” he told Roberts. “I remember that vividly, of saying, ‘Finally, you’re letting me be straight. Finally, you’re giving me a wife, a fiancée, and then I’m going to have the kids, then I’m going to have the house, and then I’m going to have all this.'”

Underwood revealed that he struggled with his sexuality throughout his life.

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“I’ve known that I’ve been different since the age of six. I couldn’t process it and put my finger on it until high school, my freshman year when I knew I was gay,” Underwood explained. “And by that time, I had already grown up in the Catholic church. I have gone to Catholic grade school; I learned in the Bible that gay is a sin.”

He remembers making mistakes growing up and friends or coaches saying, “that play was gay.” 

“Gay was always affiliated with a connotation of negativity,” Underwood recalled. “I think there’s a lot of things when I look back, like, ‘No wonder I held it in.'”

‘The Bachelor’ ABC producers issued a statement about Underwood’s ‘GMA’ interview

Immediately after Underwood’s interview with Good Morning America, The Bachelor franchise’s executive producers issued a statement.

“We are so inspired by Colton Underwood’s courage to embrace and pursue his authentic self,” the statement began via The Washington Post. “As firm believers in the power of love, we celebrate Colton’s journey in the LGBTQIA+ community every step of the way.”

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