Colton Underwood is clearing the air.
It's been seven years since fans first met the handsome reality star on The Bachelor, but Underwood's personal life became a bigger headline once the show wrapped.
After choosing Cassie Randolph as his partner on the finale, the couple broke up after a year of dating. The end of the relationship was very toxic as Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood, which was later dropped.
Shortly after the breakup, Underwood came out publicly as gay in early 2021. Two years later, the star went on to marry his husband and the pair welcomed their first child via surrogate in September 2024.
Underwood made his return to reality TV on the current season of The Traitors, and his time on the show has caused quite a stir online. Since the beginning of the game, the star had no problem calling out anyone he considered a big target.
"It was an incredible experience and my favorite show that I've ever done. I obviously try to focus on the positive side of social media, but I have seen videos. I have seen comments. A lot of that lacks context and lacks just the truth," Underwood tells PRIDE.
The backlash grew so intense that Peacock had to put out a statement discouraging all trolls from bullying or threatening any members of the cast. Many fans have called Underwood homophobic slurs, sent death threats, or even DM'd him his address over his past actions.
"The phase and where I'm at in my life as a father, as a husband, is so different than six years ago. That was such a dark time of my life. I was dealing with threats and pressures that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. I just hope that people won't define me for the rest of my life off of my worst moment."
Although the fan response hasn't always been super positive for Underwood, the reality star feels at home amongst his queer peers on The Traitors. The season four cast had five members of the LGBTQ+ community represented, including Johnny Weir, Kristen Kish, Monét X Change, and Yamil “Yam Yam” Arocho.
"Over the years, it's been a challenge for me to figure out where I belong in our community. Sometimes, I feel unwelcome or not fully understood. The cast showed up for me. They made me feel like I was part of the community. That meant a lot to me. I felt like I belonged."
The Traitors airs Thursday nights on Peacock. To see the full interview with Colton Underwood, check out the video at the top of the page.
