# Colton Underwood
**Colton Underwood** is an American former professional football player and reality television personality, best known as the lead of season 23 of ABC's *The Bachelor* in 2019 and as the first star of that franchise to come out as gay, which he did in April 2021 on *Good Morning America*.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/) • [2](https://lgbthistorymonth.com/sites/default/files/LGBT_HistoryMonthBios-2024.pdf) A former NFL practice-squad linebacker, he later built a television career spanning the Bachelor franchise, a Netflix docuseries, a Hulu dating show, and the Peacock competition series *The Traitors*.[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Football career | Four college seasons at Illinois State (2010–13) with 215 tackles; went undrafted and spent three years on NFL practice squads without appearing in a regular-season game[4](https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/14/bachelor-colton-underwood-nfl-chargers-eagles-raider-practice-squad) |
| Bachelor franchise | Contestant on *The Bachelorette* season 14 (2018) and *Bachelor in Paradise* season 5, then lead of *The Bachelor* season 23, aired in spring 2019[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband) |
| Signature moment | Jumped an 8-foot fence to get away from production during his Bachelor season; the season ended without a proposal, departing from the franchise's usual format[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband) |
| Coming out | Came out as gay on April 14, 2021, in an interview with Robin Roberts on *Good Morning America*; the first Bachelor lead to do so[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/) • [2](https://lgbthistorymonth.com/sites/default/files/LGBT_HistoryMonthBios-2024.pdf) |
| Netflix docuseries | *Coming Out Colton*, a six-episode unscripted series following his life after coming out, released in December 2021[2](https://lgbthistorymonth.com/sites/default/files/LGBT_HistoryMonthBios-2024.pdf) • [5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-11-29/colton-underwood-gay-coming-out-colton-netflix-trailer) |
| Legal controversy | Ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph filed a temporary restraining order against him in September 2020, alleging stalking and a tracking device on her car; she dropped it in November 2020 after a private agreement[6](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/) |
| Later television | Co-host of Hulu's *Are You My First?* (2025) with Kaitlyn Bristowe; contestant on *The Traitors* US season 4 (2026)[7](https://www.axios.com/2025/08/21/new-movies-tv-week-hulu-netflix-hbo-max) • [8](https://www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/colton-underwood-traitors-interview) |
| Personal life | Married political strategist Jordan C. Brown; the couple welcomed a son in September 2024[9](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/colton-underwood-honest-about-online-threats-got-the-traitors) |
## Football career
Underwood played linebacker at Illinois State from 2010 to 2013, recording 215 tackles over four college seasons.[4](https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/14/bachelor-colton-underwood-nfl-chargers-eagles-raider-practice-squad) He went undrafted after college and spent three years on the practice squads of NFL teams, including the Chargers, Eagles, and Raiders, without ever appearing in an NFL game.[4](https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/14/bachelor-colton-underwood-nfl-chargers-eagles-raider-practice-squad) NFL.com lists him at 6 feet 3 inches and 254 pounds as a linebacker.[10](https://www.nfl.com/players/colton-underwood/)
After football, Underwood turned to philanthropy, founding the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation to raise money for cystic fibrosis research.[11](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/colton-underwood/)
## The Bachelor franchise
Underwood entered Bachelor Nation in 2018 as a contestant on season 14 of *The Bachelorette*, competing for [Becca Kufrin](https://www.edgepedia.org/becca-kufrin) before being eliminated just before hometown dates. His appearance led to a stint on season 5 of *Bachelor in Paradise*, where he spent time with Tia Booth before leaving production early.[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband) He was then cast as the lead of *The Bachelor* season 23, which aired in spring 2019.[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband)
**The fence and the finale.** His season became one of the most talked-about in the show's recent history. Its defining moment came when Underwood jumped an 8-foot fence to get time alone away from production.[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband) The season's conclusion also broke from the franchise's usual format: instead of proposing, Underwood ended the season by choosing to pursue a relationship with contestant [Cassie Randolph](https://www.edgepedia.org/cassie-randolph) without the pressure of an engagement.[3](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband) ABC marketed him as the first virgin Bachelor in the show's history, and producers fixated on his sex life throughout the season.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/)
## The restraining order
In September 2020, several months after the couple announced their breakup, Randolph filed a temporary restraining order against Underwood in Los Angeles, barring him from harassing, surveilling, and contacting her.[12](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-09-15/colton-underwood-restraining-order-cassie-randolph) Court documents and subsequent reporting alleged that he had stalked her, sent harassing text messages, and planted a tracking device on her car.[6](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/) Randolph also filed a police report with the [Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department](https://www.edgepedia.org/los-angeles-county-sheriffs-department) regarding the tracking device and harassment allegations.[13](https://legalclarity.org/colton-underwood-restraining-order-timeline-and-fallout/)
In November 2020, Randolph dropped the order with prejudice, meaning it could not be refiled, after the two reached a private agreement. Underwood said in a statement at the time, "I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith."[6](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/)
## Coming out and Coming Out Colton
On April 14, 2021, Underwood came out as gay in an interview with co-anchor [Robin Roberts](https://www.edgepedia.org/robin-roberts-newscaster) on *Good Morning America*. "I've ran from myself for a long time. I've hated myself for a long time, and I'm gay," he said, adding that he had come to terms with it earlier that year and that the next step was letting people know.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/) During the interview he apologized to Randolph, saying he had "messed up" and "made a lot of bad choices."[6](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/)
In the interview, Underwood described long denial shaped by his upbringing: he grew up in the Catholic church and "learned in the Bible that being gay was a sin," and said that on the morning he learned he had been cast as the Bachelor, he "literally remember[ed] praying to God ... and thanking him for making me straight." He said he decided to come out after reaching a point where he had suicidal thoughts, calling that realization his wake-up call.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/)
The announcement coincided with news that he was filming a Netflix reality show about his new life, which prompted criticism that he was using the coming-out story to rehabilitate his image after the restraining-order allegations.[6](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/) That series, *[Coming Out Colton](https://www.edgepedia.org/coming-out-colton)*, premiered on Netflix in December 2021 as a six-episode unscripted show following his life after coming out, his conversations with family, and his connection to the LGBTQ+ community.[2](https://lgbthistorymonth.com/sites/default/files/LGBT_HistoryMonthBios-2024.pdf) • [5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-11-29/colton-underwood-gay-coming-out-colton-netflix-trailer) In the trailer, Underwood said, "Never thought I was gonna come out. I thought I was gonna die with this secret."[5](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-11-29/colton-underwood-gay-coming-out-colton-netflix-trailer) Reception was mixed: some LGBTQ+ commentators saw the program as a media rehabilitation effort,[14](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football-americain/Actualites/La-face-cachee-de-colton-underwood/1308432) while others argued that his story, as an athletic, white, cisgender gay man, was digestible enough to reach audiences who might otherwise never encounter a coming-out narrative.[15](https://www.pride.com/tv/2021/12/02/coming-out-colton-cliche-and-cringey-its-still-important) In a December 2021 interview with *The Advocate*, Underwood discussed his privilege as a white gay man and said he could still see shame in his own coming-out footage.[16](https://www.advocate.com/people/2021/12/01/colton-underwood-discusses-his-privilege-white-gay-man)
## Later television career
Underwood's post-Bachelor television work expanded beyond dating shows. He competed on and won the CBS competition series *Beyond the Edge* and finished as a semifinalist on *The Masked Singer*, before joining the cast of *The Traitors* US season 4, which premiered on Peacock in January 2026.[8](https://www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/colton-underwood-traitors-interview) On *The Traitors*, he played as a Faithful and became one of the season's most aggressive and vocal players, openly announcing targets at the [Round Table](https://www.edgepedia.org/round-table).[17](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/traitors-star-colton-underwood-the-bachelor)
His casting and gameplay drew renewed scrutiny of his past. In January 2026, a Round Table clash with castmate [Lisa Rinna](https://www.edgepedia.org/lisa-rinna) prompted her to reference the 2020 restraining order on social media, reigniting public debate about his history.[6](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/) The backlash escalated to the point that Peacock issued a statement decrying "cyberbullying and harassment" of cast members, and Underwood said in an exit interview that the abuse had included death threats against him and his family.[17](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/traitors-star-colton-underwood-the-bachelor) At the season's reunion in February 2026, he was questioned on air about the restraining order and said he understood why viewers seeing him again on television would raise his past.[18](https://www.justjared.com/2026/02/26/colton-underwood-addresses-his-restraining-order-past-on-the-traitors-reunion-in-new-interview/)
In August 2025, Underwood co-hosted the Hulu reality dating series *Are You My First?* alongside fellow Bachelor Nation alum [Kaitlyn Bristowe](https://www.edgepedia.org/kaitlyn-bristowe). The show gathered 21 virgin singles at a tropical resort, with Underwood returning to the "virgin Bachelor" theme that had defined his own season.[7](https://www.axios.com/2025/08/21/new-movies-tv-week-hulu-netflix-hbo-max) • [19](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/are-you-my-first-review-hulus-first-all-virgin-dating-show/)
## Personal life
Underwood married political strategist Jordan C. Brown, and the couple welcomed a son in September 2024.[9](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/colton-underwood-honest-about-online-threats-got-the-traitors) In 2026 he released *Dear Bishop: A Letter to My Son*, an audiobook original written and narrated by him, tracing his path from a Midwestern upbringing and football locker rooms to his public coming out, and he co-founded Toddle, a skin-care line for parents and children, with his husband.[20](https://www.newbeauty.com/view/colton-underwood-interview-2026) He published a memoir, *The First Time*, in 2020, in which he wrote about questioning his sexuality as a teenager.[1](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/)
## References
1. [Colton Underwood, former star of 'The Bachelor,' comes out as gay, The Washington Post (April 14, 2021)](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/04/14/colton-underwood-bachelor-gay/)
2. [Colton Underwood, LGBT History Month Biographies 2024](https://lgbthistorymonth.com/sites/default/files/LGBT_HistoryMonthBios-2024.pdf)
3. [All About Colton Underwood's Time on The Bachelor and His Coming Out Story, Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/blog/all-about-colton-underwood-bachelor-coming-out-husband)
4. [Which NFL Teams Did Bachelor Colton Underwood Play For?, Sports Illustrated](https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/14/bachelor-colton-underwood-nfl-chargers-eagles-raider-practice-squad)
5. ['I didn't want to be gay,' Colton Underwood says in new 'Coming Out Colton' trailer, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2021-11-29/colton-underwood-gay-coming-out-colton-netflix-trailer)
6. [How a Fiery Feud on The Traitors Season 4 Reignited Scrutiny Over a Cast Member's Past, Time](https://time.com/7358601/the-traitors-season-4-lisa-rinna-colton-underwood/)
7. [New movies and shows this week on Hulu, Netflix and HBO Max, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2025/08/21/new-movies-tv-week-hulu-netflix-hbo-max)
8. [The Traitors star Colton Underwood: 'I'm tired of being a punching bag', Out.com](https://www.out.com/gay-tv-shows/colton-underwood-traitors-interview)
9. ['That's Crossing The Line': Colton Underwood Gets Honest About The Online Threats He Got Due To The Traitors, CinemaBlend](https://www.cinemablend.com/streaming-news/colton-underwood-honest-about-online-threats-got-the-traitors)
10. [Colton Underwood Stats, News and Video, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/colton-underwood/)
11. [Colton Underwood, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/colton-underwood/)
12. ['Bachelor' star Colton Underwood hit with a restraining order by ex Cassie Randolph, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2020-09-15/colton-underwood-restraining-order-cassie-randolph)
13. [Colton Underwood Restraining Order: Timeline and Fallout, LegalClarity](https://legalclarity.org/colton-underwood-restraining-order-timeline-and-fallout/)
14. [La face cachée de Colton Underwood, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/Football-americain/Actualites/La-face-cachee-de-colton-underwood/1308432)
15. ['Coming Out Colton' Is Cliché and Cringey — But It's Still Important, Pride.com](https://www.pride.com/tv/2021/12/02/coming-out-colton-cliche-and-cringey-its-still-important)
16. [Colton Underwood Discusses His 'Privilege' as a White Gay Man, The Advocate](https://www.advocate.com/people/2021/12/01/colton-underwood-discusses-his-privilege-white-gay-man)
17. [Traitors Star Colton Underwood Finally Faces His Dark Bachelor Past, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/story/traitors-star-colton-underwood-the-bachelor)
18. [Colton Underwood Addresses His Restraining Order Past on 'The Traitors' Reunion, Just Jared](https://www.justjared.com/2026/02/26/colton-underwood-addresses-his-restraining-order-past-on-the-traitors-reunion-in-new-interview/)
19. [Hulu's New All-Virgin Dating Show 'Are You My First?' Is as Chaotic as You'd Expect, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/obsessed/are-you-my-first-review-hulus-first-all-virgin-dating-show/)
20. [Colton Underwood Has Nothing Left to Hide, NewBeauty](https://www.newbeauty.com/view/colton-underwood-interview-2026)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Reality television personalities and media celebrities › Competition reality contestants › Dating show contestants*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license