With his recent appearance on "The Traitors" concluded, Colton Underwood is engaging in deep reflection about his multifaceted public life. The former reality television star, who first gained national attention on "The Bachelorette" and later as the lead of "The Bachelor," is contemplating his journey toward authenticity, his brief professional football career, and his current role as a husband and father.
NFL Career and the Weight of Secrecy
Before his rise in the world of reality dating shows, Colton Underwood had a stint in the National Football League. During a candid conversation on Grindr's "Who's the A**hole? with Katya" podcast, Underwood revealed a poignant belief: he might have achieved greater success in football if he had been able to play as an openly gay man.
"I was so compartmentalized and I pushed and suppressed all these feelings and anger and anxiety," Underwood confessed. "If I could've just fully been myself, would I have been a better player?"
He described the constant mental burden of concealing his sexuality, particularly in the hyper-masculine environment of an NFL locker room. "It's always in the back of your mind ... especially in a locker room," he said. Underwood elaborated on the paradoxical nature of those spaces, noting, "It's like, OK, I don't want to look too long. But then there's, like, this weird homoeroticism that happens in locker rooms where they talk openly about each others' privates ... it's just a whole performative thing that goes on."
A Public Coming Out and Advocacy
Colton Underwood publicly came out as gay in a deeply emotional 2021 interview on "Good Morning America." This revelation was followed by a Netflix docuseries that chronicled his experience. While his past on "The Bachelor" and the documentary faced some criticism, the 34-year-old has since emerged as a vocal and committed advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
His personal life has also flourished. In 2023, Underwood married political strategist Jordan C. Brown, who worked on former President Barack Obama's presidential campaigns. The couple welcomed their son, Bishop Colton Brown-Underwood, a year later.
Finding Love After 'The Bachelor'
On the podcast, Underwood spoke glowingly about his husband, stating that Brown "matches and checks every box that I've ever wanted." Despite this, he initially tried to keep their relationship private. "We fell in love very quickly," Underwood shared. "I credit that to the 'Bachelor' style [of] dating, and what I took from that show."
The Podcast Fostering Candid Queer Conversations
The "Who's the A**hole? with Katya" podcast, which featured Underwood, is dedicated to creating open dialogues about queer dating and relationships. Host Katya, a veteran of "RuPaul's Drag Race," cited the late Dr. Ruth Westheimer as an inspiration for the show's mission.
"Everyone can be an asshole when it comes to dating, but nobody wants to admit it. That's where I come in — to get the dirt on everyone!" Katya told HuffPost previously. "My job is to make sure everyone feels comfortable enough to have these conversations and make these topics less taboo ― I mean, everyone fucks and everyone can be an asshole. Just look at me."
The podcast's fourth season recently launched with an episode featuring actor and drag icon Jinkx Monsoon. Previous guests have included Olympic freeskier Gus Kenworthy and "Hacks" actor Meg Stalter, highlighting the show's reach within the LGBTQ+ community and its allies.
Colton Underwood's journey—from the NFL fields and the set of "The Bachelor" to becoming an outspoken married father—illustrates a continued evolution toward personal truth and public advocacy in the spotlight.
