Colton Underwood revealed his choice of abstaining from sex while he was growing up as a top football prospect led to years of bullying which made him question his sexuality.
The 28-year-old former star of The Bachelor – who is currently in quarantine after being diagnosed with COVID-19 – talked candidly about his struggles finding himself as he matured.
In an excerpt from his new book, The First Time, obtained by People magazine on Tuesday he said bullying began when he was in grade school in the small town of Washington, Illinois.
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Revealing: Colton Underwood (seen in August 2019) revealed his choice of abstaining from sex while he was growing up as a top football prospect led to years of bullying which made him question his sexuality
Back in the day: In an excerpt from his new book, The First Time, obtained by People magazine on Tuesday he said bullying began when he was in grade school in the small town of Washington, Illinois, he shared this throwback image last year
He wrote: ‘I was called fatso, four eyes and four lips, because I used to lick my lips, so I would constantly have a red ring around them.
‘I was a little heavy, and that, combined with being socially awkward, led to a really hard time. I didn’t believe in myself. And I was super insecure.’
As he credits his faith as his reason to abstain from sex, the bullying continued through high school as a rumor circulated that he was gay.
‘You start believing it’: As he credits his faith as his reason to abstain from sex, the bullying continued through high school as a rumor circulated that he was gay, he is shown working out during his season of The Bachelor last year
Revealing: His book, The First Time, is set for release on March 31
Colton said: ‘It was one of those things where you hear something so often, you start believing it.
‘I thought, maybe I am gay. The captain of the football team should be having sex and drinking, right? But I wasn’t.’
He admitted to even searching ‘am I gay?’ on the internet when he was in grade school and didn’t actually know who he was.
Underwood explained: ‘And I come from an athletic family, so it was always, “Move on, you’re good.” So that threw me off.
‘In high school, when I was struggling with my sexuality, I’m not going to talk to my parents about it. So I internalized it.’
After a successful college career with Illinois State he later moved on to attempt to play in the NFL and was on a few practice squads when he entered his first serious relationship with Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman from 2016 to 2017.
Sacked: After a successful college career with Illinois State he later moved on to attempt to play in the NFL and was on a few practice squads, as he is shown playing for the San Diego Chargers
They split and he looked for love on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette and was named The Bachelor after being on Bachelor In Paradise.
However the gay rumors continued to persist as he wrote: ‘Even while my season was airing, I battled the gay [rumors].
‘They’d say, “he’s gay, he’s hiding it.” No. But I’ve been there, done that now.’
However, he found love in his current girlfriend Cassie Randolph, despite her not ‘winning’ the show, as they recently celebrated their one year anniversary in November.
Former flame: He entered his first serious relationship with Olympic gold medalist gymnast Aly Raisman from 2016 to 2017, as they are seen together in February 2017
Loved up: However, he found love in his current girlfriend Cassie Randolph, despite her not ‘winning’ the show, as they recently celebrated their one year anniversary in November, as the couple are seen together in June 2019
Of their relationship he write in his book set for release on March 31: ‘I finally found somebody I really just want to be with.
‘I want my life to be with Cassie. I know who I am. And that’s really all that matters.’
Their relationship has taken on another challenge as he is currently battling the coronavirus as he recently gave an update on his health.
The former football player posted a snap of himself eating in bed on Instagram Monday alongside a lengthy caption in which he described his battle with COVID-19.
He even revealed that it has actually been more of a challenge than he anticipated as he wrote: ‘Hi, just wanted to give you a health update.
‘Hi, just wanted to give you a health update’: Underwood posted a snap of himself eating in bed on Instagram Monday alongside a lengthy caption in which he described his battle with COVID-19
‘The last few days were rougher than I expected. The most prominent symptoms are my cough, night sweats and shortness of breathe.
‘Breathing is challenging, the best way to describe it is feeling like I only have access to 20% of my lungs.’
He goes on to say that he has been documenting the battle and will share the information with his followers sometime soon before listing out the medications he is currently on.
Underwood said: ‘I’m currently on hydroxychloroquine, Z-Pak and last night the doctor prescribed an inhaler, also. I’m hopeful that they are starting to work!
‘The last few days were rougher than I expected’: The reality star (seen in November) even revealed that it has actually been more of a challenge than he anticipated
‘This morning was the first time that I’ve felt any real type of improvement since the beginning of this.
‘Im hopeful that I’ve turned the corner and will be back to 100% soon. We are very lucky that all of this was manageable at home after getting the proper medicine.’
The reality show star has been staying at Randolph’s family home in Huntington Beach, California and insists to his fans that his girlfriend and her family are in minimal danger of contracting it.
He explained: ‘I’m on the third story of the Randolph’s home, isolated from the rest of the family (The Health Department called and spoke to both Cassie’s mom and me to make sure we understood timing and what to do).
‘They have been amazing!’ The reality show star has been staying at Cassie Randolph’s – pictured together in Nobember – family home in Huntington Beach, California and insists to his fans that his girlfriend and her family are in minimal danger of contracting it
‘When they make food they make an extra plate and drop it off and have been checking on me regularly to make sure I am comfortable and breathing!
‘They have been amazing and have been taking great care of me. Stay positive people…We got this!’
This came just a few days after he was seen stepping outside for a brief breath of fresh air on the balcony of the Orange County property.
The star’s quick outing came after he told fans ‘I’m good, I’ll be fine’ when speaking to Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima via Instagram on Saturday.
‘I’m lucky enough to have it under control for the most part,’ he added.
Colton revealed on Friday that he had tested positive to the deadly and highly infectious virus.
The Randolph family have remained monitoring their symptoms after exposure to Colton – however, they were also seen speaking with their neighbors and therefore potentially exposing them too.
Group date! Colton said: ‘I’m good, I’ll be fine,’ when speaking to Chris Harrison and Lauren Zima via Instagram on Saturday
Cassie explained on Saturday via Instagram that while Colton remained ‘on the third story’ of their residence ‘Everyone else is quarantined in the rest of the house and yard.’
‘He is currently on the third story and I’m taking care of him by bringing him anything he needs (food, medicine, water, blankets, games), and then I disinfect myself every time I leave him. But I’m not “hanging out” up there per se – unfortunately,’ she wrote.
The whole family are worried as ‘he wasn’t isolated from us until we got his results back. We quarantined the entire family together as soon as he showed symptoms, because we assumed that we were already exposed.’
As a result ‘now we are like…”is it too late to not catch it? Do we already have it?”…we just don’t know. So we are now implementing CDC recommended precautions and going to continue to reevaluate as days go on.’
She assured fans: ‘No one else is showing symptoms. Yet, at least. I feel like it’s been hard to tell if any of us are symptomatic or if we are just being paranoid and imagining symptoms?’
Staying in: Cassie, 24, and Colton, 28, have spent the past week hunkering down with her family at her parents’ home in Huntington Beach, California
Precautions: She explained that while Colton remained ‘on the third story’ of their residence ‘Everyone else is quarantined in the rest of the house & yard.’
Cassie and her younger brother Landon ‘have a little bit of chest pain, but maybe it’s just anxiety? Hard to tell just yet. Will keep you all updated!’
The family currently have ‘No idea where he got it from. At this point, it could have been anywhere that he was the past 2 weeks. Whether it be from a stranger that he touched the same door handle as, or from a friend, someone in my family…’
Cassie related his symptoms as well, sharing that it ‘started out with a headache’ followed by ‘body aches + mild fever’ and then ‘night sweats for the next 2 nights with the fever.’
The reality TV heartthrob ‘started feeling some shortness of breath’ and later ‘started coughing, but only very mildly.’ Colton ‘has been pretty weak and tired the whole time.’
Watchful: Cassie and her younger brother Landon ‘have a little bit of chest pain, but maybe ti’s just anxiety? Hard to tell just yet’
Mystery: The family currently have ‘No idea where he got it from’ and feel that ‘At this point, it could have been anywhere that he was the past 2 weeks’
Beginnings: Cassie related his symptoms as well, sharing that it ‘started out with a headache’ followed by ‘body aches + mild fever’
In a video she dished: ‘We’re here with my family. We’ve been quarantining ourselves for the past week now … We’re all making sure to take very good care of ourselves and staying healthy. We’re trying to one, stay positive, two, take a lot of vitamins, and get a lot of sleep.
‘The doctor said that he was one of three people who tested positive that day out of 20 tests that he gave, and that number is probably only gonna keep increasing.’
Colton revealed Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 after showing symptoms earlier this week.
The 28-year-old Bachelor star made the news public in a video posted to his social media on Friday and revealed he caught the virus despite being ‘pretty healthy’ and following the recommended social distancing guidelines.
Colton described the physical toll the virus has inflicted on him saying it is ‘kicking my a**’ and revealed he is exhausted just by walking up the stairs.
Alongside the video he wrote: ‘I tested positive and I have been following all of the social distancing rules since last week. My symptoms started a few days ago, I was tested and just received my results today.
‘For anyone out there that is hesitant to self quarantine… please do yourself and your loved ones a favor and stay home. We will all beat this and come out stronger on the other side. I’ll keep you posted, Love y’all.’
In his Instagram video Colton said: ‘I want to let you guys know: I’m 28, I consider myself pretty healthy, I work out regularly, I eat healthy, and I became symptomatic a few days ago, got my test results back today, and they are positive,
‘It’s been kicking my a**, just to put it pretty bluntly,’ he said.
‘The main thing is I can’t even walk up a flight of stairs without being out of breath or go to the bathroom without having to sit down because I’m exhausted.’
Listen up: The reality star made sure to issue a warning to his followers that everyone, even young adults, need to take the risk of the disease seriously
The reality star then made sure to issue a warning to his followers that everyone, even young adults, need to take the risk of the disease seriously.
‘So, I guess the reason I’m sharing this is not to cause fear or panic, but to hopefully encourage you guys to stay home, do your part, take care of yourselves, take care of one another,’ he said. ‘… I just want to encourage everybody to stay at home. Stay in your house and do your part and take care of one another.’
Colton said that while isolating himself at Cassie’s family’s house they are ‘all in it together’.
Colton said he’s isolating himself at the home of his girlfriend Cassie Randolph’s parents in Huntington Beach, California, and that they’re ‘all in it together’. The couple are pictured on March 11
Seemingly taking the risks seriously, earlier this week Colton modeled one of Scot Disick’s ‘Please Wash Your Hands’ sweaters and posted a photo of it on Instagram with the caption: ‘PSA’.
On Monday Colton and Cassie braved the outdoors and went for a swim in the ocean. But they ended up in the emergency room after Cassie got stung by a jellyfish and had an allergic reaction to the venom.
Colton joked at the time: ‘Mother Nature sent us a warning shot to get back inside,’
Doing his part: Colton helped spread the word earlier this week as he wore one of the ‘Please wash your hands’ sweaters designed by Scott Disick
