Colton Underwood says he ‘thanked God for making him straight’ after getting on the Bachelor
Colton Underwood. (Jerod Harris/Getty Images for Tubi)
Colton Underwood thanked God for “making him straight” the morning he found out he would be on The Bachelor.
Colton Underwood came out as gay during an interview on Good Morning America on Wednesday (14 April), telling anchor Robin Roberts that he had been running from his sexuality “for a long time”.
Colton Underwood, who was raised a Catholic, revealed he thought going on The Bachelor was a gift from God to help him live a straight lifestyle.
“I literally remember praying to God the morning I found out that I was [on The Bachelor] and thanking him for making me straight,” Underwood told Roberts.
“I remember that vividly, of saying, ‘Finally you’re letting me be straight, finally you’re giving me a wife, a fiancé, and then I’m gonna have the kids, and then I’m gonna have the house, and then I’m gonna have all this.’
Underwood said he knew he was different since he was just six years old but was unable to put his finger on exactly what was making him feel that way. In his freshman year at high school, Underwood became aware that he was attracted to other boys.
“By that time I had already grown up in the Catholic church, I had gone to Catholic grade school. I had learned in the Bible that gay is a sin,” Underwood explained.
Colton Underwood became ‘closer to God’ as he came to terms with being gay
As he came to terms with his sexuality over the last year, Colton Underwood became “closer to God”.
“I know even saying that now as a gay man, people will be like, how is that even possible? And it’s like… I used to wake up in the morning and pray for him to take the gay away. I used to pray for him to change me, and I can now wake up and pray to God and I can actually have faith, and I can go into church and be present, not have it be conditional on this topic of take this off my plate and I’ll still worship you and I’ll still be there.”
Underwood also opened up about what it was like to come out as gay to his friends and family, revealing that most people said they wished he had done it sooner.
I could never give anybody a good enough answer why I was a virgin. The truth is I was a virgin bachelor because I was gay and I didn’t know how to handle it.
“When I hear that, I wish I would have had faith in my friends and my family a little bit more,” Underwood said.
“My dad, I told him and his reaction was sort of the same, like, ‘I wish you would have trusted me sooner.’ But then he followed it up with, ‘How can I help you, how can I help take this off your plate, who can I tell?’ And to me that was more meaningful than ‘I love you.’
He added: “The only reason I’m sitting down with you today is because I have the love and the support of my friends and my family.”
Colton Underwood was also quick to remind viewers at home that he is “still the same” person they saw when he appeared on The Bachelor.
“I’m still the same Colton everybody met on TV. I’m still the same Colton to my friends and my family. I just happen to be able to be share with people now all of me and I am proud of that. I am proud to be gay.”
He was the ‘virgin bachelor’ because he was gay
Elsewhere in the interview, Underwood reflected on being labelled the “virgin bachelor” after he revealed that he had never had sex ahead of his stint on the show. He confirmed that he “fully was a virgin” before going on The Bachelor.
“I could never give anybody a good enough answer why I was a virgin. The truth is I was a virgin bachelor because I was gay and I didn’t know how to handle it.”
When asked what he is “looking for” in a man, Underwood said: “I still have a lot to work through, and I’ll just go on record saying I still haven’t had an emotional connection with a man. I’ve never allowed myself to, and it’s never been in my cards to let myself get there, and I want to more than anything, and I’m looking for someone who can push me and challenge me in all the great ways.”
He added: “I still have a long way to go, I’m still learning. If I had to go back and give anybody advice, I mean, you’re going to get through it is what I would tell myself. Keep fighting for you, keep choosing you every morning, and when the time’s right and you’re ready, do it on your own time.”
Underwood had long faced speculation from fans that he was gay – but the reality television star always strenuously denied that he was attracted to men.
Speaking to the Reality Steve podcast in August 2020, he said: “The bottom line is I’m not gay,” before claiming homophobic bullying at school made him question his sexuality.
