NEWSColton Underwood Reveals Chris Harrison Is The Only Person From Bachelor Nation Who Was There For Him After Coming Out
Dec. 6 2021, Published 9:32 a.m. ET
Colton Underwood is giving a candid update about his Bachelor Nation relationships.
The 29-year-old — who starred as the lead of The Bachelor season 23 — recently revealed he's only stayed in touch with one member of the franchise: Chris Harrison.
“I don’t watch the show. I mean, the only person that I really talked to is Chris still,” he candidly told Us Weekly. “Chris and I stay in touch.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t really have any relationships in the franchise anymore,” he later added in the interview.
The former football player also explained that Harrison, 50, was the only person from Bachelor Nation who had his back after he came out as gay earlier this year. “Chris was about the only one from the franchise who really reached out and sort of let me know that he was there for me, [asking] if there’s anything he can do,” he told the outlet while promoting his new Netflix series, Coming Out Colton.
Underwood cut his season of the hit ABC series short to pursue his relationship with then-girlfriend Cassie Randolph. After the two split in May 2020, the former contestant accused Underwood of stalking and harassing her. While she filed a restraining order against the handsome hunk in September 2020, it was dropped three months later.
- Colton Underwood Exposes Chris Harrison And Bachelor Producers For ‘Abuse’ Of Ex- Cassie Randolph
- 'You Have My Love And Support': Bachelor Nation Rallies Behind Colton Underwood After He Comes Out As Gay
- 'RHONY' Alum Carole Radziwill Slams Colton Underwood For Appearing On 'The Bachelor' After Coming Out As Gay, Says Show Should 'Be Vetting' Contestants Better
Roughly a year later, the TV personality shocked the world when he came out as gay in April during a Good Morning America interview with Robin Roberts, with him revealing at the time that he had been hiding his identity for most of his life.
“It’s very relieving,” Underwood said while talking about his coming out journey. “I will say [this is] the happiest and healthiest [I’ve been] for sure. There’s no overcompensating, there’s a lot of things that led to, sort of, my spiral and to me not being healthy [which] came when I was in the closet.”
As OK! previously reported, Underwood’s new series covers the former reality star’s difficult experience with telling his friends and family about his identity. At one point in the how, The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking For Love on Reality TV author admits he “didn’t want to be gay” and thought “he would die” with this secret.
Underwood also recalled to Us Weekly that Harrison’s support came as the longtime host was “going through his own thing at the time.”
As OK! reported, Harrison had his own difficult relationship with The Bachelor franchise after he was booted from the hit show he hosted for more than 20 seasons. The embattled TV personality was forced to resign after he defended former contestant Rachel Kirkconnell when a series of racially insensitive photos resurfaced from her past.
