In a candid interview published yesterday, former Bachelor star and future Netflix reality subject Colton Underwood revealed that the reason he came out on Good Morning America last month was because he was being blackmailed. But not everyone is buying the story.
Speaking Variety, Underwood recounted how he began exploring his sexuality at a Los Angeles “spa”–a location known to attract gay men “just to look,” he said.
Not long after, he received an anonymous email claiming to have nude photos of him at the venue. The emailer threatened to out him to the press, which prompted Underwood to contact his publicist.
“I knew that out of anybody in my world, my publicist wasn’t going to ruin me,” he said.
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In the same interview, Underwood also addressed that whole stalking scandal involving his former Bachelor girlfriend Cassie Randolph. Per a legal agreement, he wasn’t able to discuss certain details of the incidents with Variety, but he did insist he never physically abused her.
“I did not physically touch or physically abuse Cassie in any way, shape or form,” he swore.
Underwood also said he doesn’t want his coming out story to be seen as an attempt to make people forget about his abusive past.
Despite saying this, a lot of people on Twitter are still unmoved and do not feel he has really atoned for anything.
Here’s what folx are saying…
colton underwood definitely wants me to forget about him stalking and blackmailing his ex so i can feel sympathetic about him being blackmailed and it’s just really not working?
— bisexual girlboss (@noabournexo) May 12, 2021
This quote: "I did not physically touch or physically abuse Cassie in any way, shape or form."
Abuse doesn't have to be physical to be abuse. There are many other forms: emotional, mental, financial, verbal, etc.https://t.co/Jrm1vhkcy6
— Amy Diehl, Ph.D. (@amydiehl) May 13, 2021
Does the media know there are other people to interview besides Colton Underwood about literally anything? That not everyone needs to keep being famous? Why is he still getting these long profiles?
— Stephanie McNeal (@stephemcneal) May 12, 2021
*inhales* ONCE AGAIN COLTON UNDERWOOD IS USING BEING IN THE CLOSET TO JUSTIFY STALKING CASSIE LITERALLY SHUT THIS TOXIC WHITE BOY DOWN— pic.twitter.com/djJjEaJBn1
— Kenzie Jepperson-Moore (@mcjeppy) May 12, 2021
I read the Colton Underwood interview, but I don't think I will share it anywhere. It's so weird and gross, in its construction (its use of the term "spa") and in what it reveals about Hollywood.
— Andy Dehnart (@realityblurred) May 13, 2021
Stalking is abuse and @Variety should not have given Colton Underwood a platform to say otherwise. pic.twitter.com/CaAov91A9V
— Lizzzzzzzz (@LizzyLaurie) May 12, 2021
I’m not sure anyone needs Colton Underwood to be some kind of gay icon. He came out. Good for him, happy he can be who he truly is out in the open. But now go away lol. That upcoming reality show is a bit much and all of this PR isn’t necessary either.
— Will. (He/Him) (@iamwlaw) May 13, 2021
Others felt the need to correct him about that “spa” he visited. (In Colton’s defense, he’s new to the whole gay thing)…
Colton Underwood says he was blackmailed after visiting a “spa” that caters to gay clientele. Sweetie, that’s a bathhouse.
— Chicago Dom Daddy (@ChicagoDomDaddy) May 13, 2021
That’s called a bathhouse, @colton https://t.co/xtWtq2UyH8
— ||J||C||S|| (@EsssssJayyy) May 12, 2021
So Colton Underwood went to a bathhouse and was blackmailed to come out bc someone snapped his nudes? This didn’t need to be an article, could’ve been a tweet. And no, LA Times I ain’t subscribing nice try
— Dula Peep ? (@Tophrrr) May 13, 2021
I see we’re at the “Colton Underwood was blackmailed into coming out after visiting a gay spa” part of the news cycle pic.twitter.com/ba7bHkyb9k
— mark burns (@_markburns_) May 12, 2021
anyways which LA Bathhouse do y’all think Colton Underwood was going to??? My bet is on FLEX.
— alex ?? (@xelamanrique) May 12, 2021
Colton Underwood after going to a bathhouse once
— Tee Squared (@OhTayCanYouSee) May 12, 2021
Why use the word gay spa instead of bathhouse? Bathhouse is the correct term it is a place men go to have sex.
— OrvilleLloydDouglas🇨🇦🏳️🌈 (@OrvilleLloyd) May 12, 2021
Gay “spa”? @colton Gurl, there are no gay spas that you go to for free blowies. Just say “bathhouse” and stop with the daily rewrites of your narrative.
It was a gay bathhouse. Baaaaaaathhouse. pic.twitter.com/mXTlyqEeKG— Me!Me! Ego for Two Body for One (@KERRJohnA) May 13, 2021
Graham Gremore is the Features Editor and a Staff Writer at Queerty. Follow him on Twitter @grahamgremore.
ryeguypdx
LA has a lot of Korean Spas, some of which are popular gay hookup spots. I think people who are harping on his use of the word “spa” just don’t like him very much, and are using any excuse to add kindling to their fire.
Heywood Jablowme
I was about to post that “spa” always seemed to me a European and Asian term, and I’d never heard an American refer to a gay bathhouse as a spa. But when I look on Squirt.org – reliable chronicle of sleaze – you appear to be correct. There are many places that call themselves spas. Maybe it’s an L.A. thing I wasn’t aware of.
MissTerri
So some random “folx” (sic) on Twitter who represent .00000001 % of the population are complaining? Hi-LAR-ious!!! NEXT!!!!!!!!
Kenny C
I wish the media would stop trying to make this guy a thing. I struggle to find anything remotely interesting about him or his story. And I tried! That’s why I read the story. He is a good looking , young, white guy….Just another pretty chicken. An unseasoned and undercooked one at that. “Yawn”
I’ll wait to he starts his onlyfans page and his pictures leak. Otherwise, this is late and tired and I am bored. I’m a little disappointed with Ken Gusworthy though. I thought he was more interesting…Oh well.
Heywood Jablowme
If he DID go to a bathhouse/spa, in L.A. yet, he would have gotten a lot of attention since he’d already been on TV. Although he doesn’t seem to be the brightest bulb, he must have realized that someone would recognize him. He would have expected and wanted the attention – IF he did go to a bathhouse.
Fahd
The blackmailing story didn’t evoke much sympathy from me either; not because they used the euphemism “spa” for “bathhouse”, but because I don’t believe the whole thing ever happened. There’s no way he was in a Hollywood bathhouse and it just came to light when he reported it. He wouldn’t have been blackmailed – the photos, if they ever existed, would have been sold to the gutter press. I think he no longer really knows what’s reality and what’s fiction. Some publicists are working overtime on generating views for a media whore and his upcoming show. I guess it’s working-everyone has an opinion, including me.
Man About Town
Based on this terminology we can now call the Tool Shed a spa!
Donston
Getting caught up in “spa” vs “bathhouse” is a bit silly. But Colton just dug himself into a bigger hole with that interview. No one thought he was beating up women. The accusations of verbal harassment, stalking and placing a tracking device on her car were clear. So, him saying that he never hit her just seems like a diversion from the actual claims and trying to make them seem minor. While does he expect people to believe that he’s been visiting bathhouses and had a Grindr account but has never touched a guy in his life? What’s even the need for a show about someone helping you enter into your “gayness” if you’ve been doing a lot of gay shit already? And if the bathhouse blackmail story is to be believed, then he’s indirectly admitting if he wasn’t “blackmailed” he wouldn’t be out. And based on the interview I’m sensing that his PR and many of the people a part of The Bachelor have known for a while that he’s really, really into dudes and were trying to get him to “straighten up” at least until his run in reality TV dried up. (Hollywood continues to be a god-damn mess). Yet, he still puts out a book last year defending his “straightness” and his journey to hetero commitment. The interview definitely didn’t do what it was supposed to.
Honestly, him trying to reconstruct narratives to keep a following, build a new following and to stay in the spotlight, it has crossed over into being kinda entertaining. He stays on the hustle. That’s for sure. But if he stopped bullshitting and calculating and he kept it entirely real then more people would probably like him. I wouldn’t, but more would.
Prinny
Why do you come here? You’re not gay so why do you come here?
Donston
That’s the type of thing people say when they feel threatened and/or have no real response.
I am inherently pansexual, formerly inherently homo and with overall same-sex preferences and is in same-sex marriage. But really, all of that is beside the point. I could be “straight” and hetero as hell and would still have a right to post here. And in case you haven’t noticed, many non homo’s post here.
I know most of the comments here (and most the “articles” here for that matter) tend to be basic or bitchy or ignorant or trolling. And that’s fine. But I look at shit honestly and thoroughly while trying not to be judge mental. If you can’t deal with that or don’t actually have a real response then you can be thrown in a pile with the rest. Because you so far haven’t contributed anything outside of a few short, bitchy comments.
Prinny
You still haven’t given an answer
G R
Neither Underwood or his publicist seem to be very bright, IF this really happened the pics would’ve been sold 100%, blackmail gets a the blackmailer put in jail. This is another desperate attempt at damage control. He’s pretty but that’s it.
Cam
If the pictures were just of him being nude, that isn’t really something that could “Out” him. The story seems weird.
Jim
Does anyone really care about this media whore?
Mr. Stadnick
This website has made this into a thing. Very disappointing. Not only badly written and filled with “quotes” from Twitter it is now making non stories into “Scandals”. Poor reporting for clicks is just bad journalism.
MissTerri
The queens who run this site waltz in at half past ten, fire up their twitter feeds and then just copy-paste away!!!
Cam
@MissTerri
The right wing troll account always deflecting so it can attack LGBTQ sites, or people.
MissTerri
@Cam
Keep a’flappin hon! The breeze is refreshing!!!!
Cam
@@MissTerri
Awww, the anti-LGBTQ troll account gets mad that it’s so obvious because it’s troll game is sad and obvious.
Ken A.
Poor guy and for everyone being pretentious about his alleged stalking, PROTECTION ORDER was DROPPED, they’re friends again. Any way all he has to do is leak nude photos of himself and everyone will swoon thirstily.
Cam
Let me guess, you’re a new WeHo friend of his?
gregg2010
Honey, if I could have made money from coming out, I would have . . .
Donston
And that would be fine so long as you hadn’t spent most of your adult years profiting off of hetero-normalcy and if you hadn’t just put out a book pretty much talking about how “not gay” you are. Also, if you weren’t recently accused of stalking and harassing and tracking your ex (the restraining order has been dropped, but the Colton has never denied the allegations, and him and Cassie are not “friends”. She wished him well after his “coming out”. That doesn’t equate to being “friends”). It would also be fine if it weren’t so apparent that you’re still lying and making up narratives as you go along. Or if you didn’t admit that you wouldn’t have “come out” if your weren’t supposedly blackmailed.
A lot of trolls and guys with hard-ons for this dude keep trying to make people overlook a ton of different things or keep trying to alter facts. They need to just admit that they don’t care about anything he says or does because they have a hard-on for him, and that’s all that matters to them. Just stand in your truth.
chappy51
I don’t care if he is lying or not. We all make mistakes. If he want to come see me, I’d still suck him off! Bad Boy! LOL
osote_tex
He’s admitted that he’s had relations with men in another interview before being on reality tv, so bottom line is that like so many other closet cases, he got caught and now he’s trying to make a few bucks off of his tired old story. Bottom line.
Prax07
Here’s betting he opens an only fans once the Netflix show tanks. $15 a month to see him getting banged by Twink fans.
adamwest
So I guess the next thing will be Colton scurrying to take photos of his ass or dick so HE can post them and make out its the Blackmailer….otherwise why wouldnt the so called fantasy blackmailer sell them to a buyer now as the price has gone up
BoomerMyles
Don’t know why all these people are bashing Colton when deep down they thirst hard for him.
ramonromano
I’ve been to Korean Spas myself in LA and in NY with 0 intention of hooking up. It’s basically just a space to enjoy body treatments, scrubs, hot tubs, cold tubs and saunas. A majority of these spas cater to Asian families so you will often have generations of a family in the spa, including children. So the men who go there to hook up and who do behave inappropriately there should really be looking for a completely different environment.
So if Colton was in fact at one of these types of spas then maybe it was more innocent that it seems.
That being said there are a lot of spas/bathhouses that do cater to sex. So it does seem that his “blackmailing” could point to a more seedy location. Because who cares if you were at a men’s spa naked. Nudity isn’t bad or “naughty”, and if it was a family environment like the Korean spa tends to be it is a non-issue. Just seems like a lie or something here isn’t adding up.
Either way. I’m tired of hearing about this person. It’s just in my late night insomnia sometimes reading these articles feel inescapable.
jackscott
Please just go away! This guy doesn’t deserve any air time.
BLAKENOW
WOW amazing to see all the Self hating Bitter Troll C*ntz a live and well on this site. All you trolls need to look in n the mirror and ask your self how you have become the bully that once bullied you. Hmm? pathetic Keyboard warriors. Colin is effing hot and you all would live to have him in your bed.
Cam
So it seems like the reason you are defending him is because he’s “Hot”.
Just curious, at what level of behavior does your erection decide it’s ok to not like somebody’s actions?
BaltoSteve
I remember when I was 25/26 and coming to terms with my sexuality. There was a gay bar just within walking distance of my house. I would take a “walk” on a week night, and go have a beer. Just go in, order a beer and sit at the bar, watching what was going on around me. I had a lot of internalized fear about being seen. Fear about someone recognizing me, and Gods know I am not even at the same level as Colton as far as Fame, or even Infamy. And considering how many articles we see on here about actors not coming out because of fear of losing work. It isn’t outside the realm of possibility the threat of naked pics surfacing of him in a “Gay” spa would cause a fear reaction. That being said though, I suspect this is someone else’s story, repackaged to do damage control.
mikhailmaui
Hey Queerty, you would be doing us all a favor by disabling the comments sections. All you are doing is promoting hate, ignorance and showing us how everyone hides behind a keyboard. ALL of you posting should mind your own damn business. No one, and I mean absolutely no one knows what Colton has gone through. It is his life to live, his journey and he is the one that must live with his choices. NOT YOU.
Cam
It’s cute when people scream “How dare you comment on that person!?!”
After that person does multiple reality shows and goes on interviews to announce every aspect of their life?
Nobody would be commenting on his life if he wasn’t demanding that everybody comment on his life.
Fname Optional Lname
It’s Colton Underwood, a man who screams for attention and then runs to do damage control when people paid attention and found out he did some foul sh#t. He’s not Britney, no need for a “LEAVE COLTON ALONE” moment!