Colton Underwood only slept with married men before ‘Virgin Bachelor’ fame
Colton Underwood. (Getty)
The Bachelor alumnus Colton Underwood has revealed that, before coming out as gay, he exclusively had sexual encounters with married men because he believed they were less likely to expose his sexuality.
Speaking on the We Need to Talk podcast, the former Bachelor star said he felt married men had “more to lose” if their encounters became public.
Reflecting on the decision, Underwood acknowledged that his mindset at the time was “messed up” but said it stemmed from fear and a need to protect himself.
The 34-year-old first found fame as the lead of The Bachelor in 2019, where his identity as the franchise’s so-called “Virgin Bachelor” became a major talking point.
However, he has since said that the public fascination with his virginity obscured the internal struggle he was having with his sexuality.
Raised in a religious environment and pursuing a career in professional sport, Underwood said he spent years trying to convince himself he could suppress or change his attraction to men.
He previously believed that dating women, getting engaged or eventually having sex with a woman would somehow make him straight.
Underwood publicly came out as gay in 2021 and later documented his journey in the Netflix series Coming Out Colton, which followed him as he explored his identity and connected with the LGBTQ+ community.
He is now married to political strategist Jordan C. Brown-Underwood, and the couple welcomed their first child last year.
Looking back on that period of his life, Underwood said he wishes he had been more open about the confusion and fear he was experiencing, rather than allowing his reality TV persona to define the public’s understanding of him.
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