ABC News — About a month after Colton Underwood publicly came out as gay, he said he did so, in part, because he was blackmailed.
In an interview with Variety, the “Bachelor” alum said his coming out was prompted out of fear.
“I’ll just say it. I, at one point, during my rock bottom and spiral, was getting blackmailed,” he said. “Nobody knows I was blackmailed.”
Underwood said he got an anonymous email from someone claiming to have nude photos of him at a Los Angeles spa known for its gay clientele, which he had recently visited. The blackmailer allegedly threatened to leak the photo to the press.
The former football star said he never saw the photos, but said the experience made him realize he needed to publicly address his sexuality.
“I’ve ran from myself for a long time. I’ve hated myself for a long time,” Underwood said last month, discussing his sexuality publicly for the first time.
“And I’m gay,” he continued. “And I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. And the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. I’m still nervous, but yeah. It’s been a journey for sure.”
After coming out, Underwood received a slew of support from Bachelor Nation and other celebrities.
