Real Housewives Of New York alum Carole Radziwill is getting major blowback for criticizing Colton Underwood for appearing on The Bachelor while still grappling with his sexuality.
Radziwill, 57, offered a half-hearted congratulations to the former NFL tight end after he came out as gay on Wednesday’s Good Morning America, telling off Underwood, 29, for appearing on the ABC dating show, wondering whether the network should be ‘vetting their contestants better’ and calling it a ‘bad day for young women.’
People were quick to slam the former journalist for her half-baked opinion, with most struggling to see what point Carole was even trying to make.
‘Congrats to Colton Underwood but also What??’ Radziwill wrote, appearing to accuse Colton of using the reality show as therapy.
Chiming in: Real Housewives Of New York alum Carole Radziwill came under fire after criticizing Colton Underwood for going on The Bachelor while he was still figuring out his sexuality and telling ABC they should ‘vet’ contestants better
‘You apply & compete with other men to go on a TV show looking for love & you think you might be gay? What about processing that without involving TV crews and 25 girls. It’s a great day for gay men, bad day for young women.’
She followed up with another ill-conceived tweet, writing: ‘I’m happy for Colton to be living his truth now. Is anyone talking about whether @ABC executives should be vetting their contestants better? Or what the women think? @RobinRoberts @BachelorABC What’s good?’
One user who works in reality TV was shocked Carole would suggest trying to ‘vet’ someone’s sexuality.
‘I work in casting for reality television as a producer. It is not my job to “out” people or vet their sexuality,’ they wrote. ‘GTFO. You’re usually so on point, but this is so yucky.’
‘…What the f**k is this take??’ one more asked. ‘How are they supposed to vet someone who is in the closet?’
‘What a bad, s***ty take,’ tweeted another.
Mixed message: ‘Congrats to Colton Underwood but also What??’ Radziwill wrote, appearing to accuse Colton of using the reality show as therapy and calling it a ‘bad day for young women’
Suggestion: She followed up with another ill-conceived tweet, writing: ‘I’m happy for Colton to be living his truth now. Is anyone talking about whether @ABC executives should be vetting their contestants better?’
Problematic: ‘I get it, its a show. #patriarchylives,’ she went on, also calling The Bachelor the ‘most misogynist show on TV’ in another reply
Carole tried to explain her thoughts from a feminist angle in her replies, telling another user: ‘Aww, thanks. My heart is open but in all directions not just to that of the struggling man.’
‘He chose to go on a reality game show, the women and their journey should be part of this convo.
‘I get it, its a show. #patriarchylives,’ she went on, also calling The Bachelor the ‘most misogynist show on TV’ in another reply.
She replied to one user who said dating a gay man ‘doesn’t reflect poorly on anyone involved,’ saying: ‘Of course, I did too, I’m sure. But on national tv in a reality show game? Hits differently.’
A fan of Carole’s tried to tell her she was off-base, comparing her to enemy Bethenny Frankel.
‘Your original tweet was big Bethenny energy,’ the wrote, adding: ‘You are too chic and erudite to have meant it, so I am going to pretend you did not.’
It’s worth noting that Underwood didn’t ‘apply’ to be The Bachelor out of the blue.
He appeared as a suitor on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette in 2018 before becoming leading man.
Carole’s fellow Bravo talent Braunwyn Windham-Burke was much more supportive.
Ouch: A fan of Carole’s tried to tell her she was off-base, comparing her to enemy Bethenny Frankel
Celebs chime in: Bravo’s Andy Cohen, The View’s Meghan McCain, and bisexual Bachelor In Paradise contestant Demi Burnett all sent their love
The Real Housewives Of Orange County blonde, who came out as a lesbian at 42 last year, called Underwood’s coming out ‘so exciting.’
‘I feel like people are becoming more comfortable in their own skin. It took me 42 years to come out. There was a lot of shame and self-hatred and, in my case, drinking to avoid it,’ she said in podcaster Kate Casey’s Watch With Kate Casey room on the invitation-only social media app Clubhouse, per Page Six.
Bravo’s Andy Cohen also chimed in, telling Colton ‘You’re free now, @colton. A toaster is on its way.’
The Real’s Loni Love said: ‘All the best to you @colton .. life gets better standing in your truth!!!’
The View’s Meghan McCain said: ‘Sending @colton love, light, support and deep respect. It is real bravery to live your truth in this world. Thank you for being so open and courageous with your journey.’
And plenty of people from Bachelor Nation also sent their love to Underwood.
Producers released a statement saying they were ‘so inspired by Colton Underwood’s courage to embrace and pursue his authentic self. As firm believers in the power of love, we celebrate Colton’s journey in the LGBTQIA+ community every step of the way.’
Bisexual Bachelor In Paradise favorite wrote: ‘Welcome to the community brother.’
Bombshell: Colton revealed how he’s come to terms with his sexuality in a raw interview with ABC’s Robin Robert’s on Wednesday, saying that the forced isolation during the pandemic forced him to finally ‘look at himself in the mirror’
Hidden: The 29-year-old ex-NFL player was known as ‘the virgin Bachelor’ when he starred on the show in 2019, during which he named Cassie Randolph has his chosen winner (pictured)
Colton revealed how he’s come to terms with his sexuality in a raw interview with ABC’s Robin Robert’s on Wednesday, saying that the forced isolation during the pandemic forced him to finally ‘look at himself in the mirror’ and come to terms with his sexuality, before telling the host: ‘I’m gay.’
‘Obviously this year’s been a lot for a lot of people and it’s probably made a lot of people look themselves in the mirror and figure out who they are and what they’ve been running from or putting off in their lives and for me, I’ve ran from myself for a long time,’ he explained. ‘I’ve hated myself for a long time.’
When asked whether he ever attempted to harm himself, Colton – who was known to many as the ‘virgin Bachelor’ after revealing during The Bachelorette in 2018 that he had never had sex – admitted that there was a ‘moment in LA’ when he tried to take his own life.
‘There was a moment in LA [when] I woke up and I didn’t think I was going to wake up,’ he revealed. ‘I didn’t have the intentions of waking up and I did.’
Colton, who documented his quest to find his perfect woman on three seasons of the ABC dating show franchise, admitted that he thought being chosen for The Bachelor was a sign that God was ‘making him straight’.
![Struggle: Colton admitted that his struggle with his sexuality drove him to attempt suicide, explaining that there was a 'moment in LA... [when he] didn't have the intentions of waking up'](https://dailyamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/1618439193_596_Carole-Radziwill-says-ABC-should-vet-contestants-better-after-Bachelor.jpg)
Struggle: Colton admitted that his struggle with his sexuality drove him to attempt suicide, explaining that there was a ‘moment in LA… [when he] didn’t have the intentions of waking up’
‘I literally remember praying to God the morning I found out that I was a Bachelor and thanking him for making me straight,’ he recalled.
‘I remember that vividly, saying, like, “Finally you’re letting me be straight. Finally you’re giving me a wife, a fiancee and then I’m going to have the kids then I’m going to have the house and have all this.”‘
Colton added that he is now the ‘happiest and healthiest’ he has ever been after fully embracing his sexuality, admitting that it was something he ‘never thought he was going to share’.
He also issued an apology to the women that he dated and ‘misled’ during his time on The Bachelor franchise, as well as the viewers who – as Roberts noted – ‘were cheering him on and wanting him to find love’.
‘I just wish I wouldn’t have dragged people into my own mess of figuring out who I was,’ Colton admitted.
‘I genuinely mean that. But I also at the same time like but I can sit here and say I’m sorry to all those women and can also say thank you because without them and without the bachelor franchise, I don’t know if like this would have ever came out.’
He added that his relationship with Cassie Randolph – the woman whom he chose as his winner on The Bachelor and lost his virginity to on the show – made his struggle with his sexuality even ‘harder and more confusing’, because he ‘loved everything about her’.
Apology: The Illinois native said that he was sorry for all of the women he ‘misled’ during his time on the Bachelor franchise
From the heart: He issued a personal apology to Cassie, 25, insisting that he was ‘was in love with her’ when they were dating
‘Yes [I was in love with her],’ he insisted. ‘It… made it harder and more confusing for me, if I’m being honest. I loved everything about her and it’s hard for me to articulate exactly what my emotions were in going through that relationship with her was, because I obviously had an internal fight going on.
‘I would just say that I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I’m sorry for any pain and emotional stress I caused. I wish it wouldn’t have happened the way it did. I wish that I would have been courageous enough to fix myself before I broke anybody else.’
The former Bachelor said that he has privately come out to his closest friends and family, and has received a wealth of ‘love and support’, although he did not reveal whether he had spoken to his ex-girlfriends personally about his sexuality before appearing on GMA.
‘I’ve had sort of a range of responses and the underlining most common one was almost like, “I wish you would have told me sooner,”‘ he revealed.
‘When I hear that, I wish I would have had faith in my friends and family a little more. My dad, I told him and his reaction was sort of the same: “I wish you would have trusted me sooner,” but then he followed it up with, “How can I help you? How can I help take this off your plate? Who can I tell?”
‘That was more meaningful than I love you. The only reason I’m sitting down is because I have the love and support of my friends and family.’
Turmoil: After the couple split in 2020, Cassie was issued a restraining order against Colton, and he has now apologized to her for ‘any pain and emotional stress he caused’
Where it all began: Colton made his debut on the Bachelor franchise as a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette in 2018
History: Before appearing on The Bachelor as its star, Colton featured on The Bachelor in Paradise in 2018, when he was seen wooing contestant Tia Booth
Colton first appeared on the Bachelor franchise in 2018 as a contestant on Becca Kufrin’s season of The Bachelorette, before going on to feature on The Bachelor in Paradise later that same year. During his appearance on The Bachelorette, he revealed to Becca that he was a virgin.
He was later marketed as the ‘The Virgin Bachelor’ with his virginity becoming a focal point during his time on the dating series.
After he became the leading man on The Bachelor, the former football player ended up picking Cassie from the many hopefuls vying for his affections on the ABC reality show – although he did not propose to her.
Their relationship was incredibly tumultuous from the start; Cassie had actually broken things off with Colton and left the show after reaching the final three, a decision that left him so devastated, he jumped over a fence to run after her.
Relationship: Colton dated Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman from August 2016 until April 2017, before he appeared on The Bachelor franchise
Battle: Colton (pictured in high school) said that he has known he was gay since he was a freshman, but that his Catholic upbringing made him think that being gay ‘was a sin’
The couple then dated from November 2018 until May 2020, when they split – with Cassie, 25, later filing a restraining order against her ex, accusing him of stalking her and putting a tracking device on her car.
She was granted a temporary restraining order that forced Underwood to stay at least 100 yards away from her, in addition to her car, home, workplace, and school.
Randolph accused Underwood of harassing her with text messages and showing up at her home uninvited. She also claimed he would loiter outside her parents house in Huntington Beach, California in the early hours of the morning.
Later, Randolph dismissed the restraining order against Underwood, and requested to drop the police investigation.
‘Underwood had released a statement to the media, explaining the pair resolved the matter privately. Cassie asked the court to dismiss the temporary restraining order against me,’ he said.
Negative: The former NFL player (seen in a preseason game for the San Diego Chargers) said that ‘gay’ was often used as an insult by his teammates
Love: Colton said that his father Scott was incredibly supportive when he came out, revealing his dad asked him, ‘How can I help you? How can I help fake this off your plate? Who can I tell?’
Emotional: The Bachelor star (pictured with his mom Donna) added that many of his closest friends and family said they wish he had felt he could come out to them sooner
‘The two of us were able to reach a private agreement to address any of Cassie’s concerns. I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith. I appreciate everyone’s respect for privacy regarding this matter.’
In his book, Colton revealed that he lost his virginity to Cassie while they were filming for The Bachelor, explaining that the couple decided to have sex while enjoying a night in a fantasy suite.
Prior to his debut on the Bachelor franchise in 2018, Colton had a public relationship with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, whom he asked out via video when she was doing an interview with Yahoo.
Colton and Aly dated from August 2016 until April 2017, when she broke up with him via FaceTime, with the ex-Bachelor star later describing her as his ‘first love’ and admitting that their split was ‘really tough’.
The Illinois native has previously spoken about his past struggles surrounding his own sexual identity and how he has previously questioned his sexuality.
In his memoir The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV, Underwood opens up about how he has in the past questioned whether he is gay.
He details a particular experience in high school that he battled with throughout his life, in which he was ‘super insecure’ and ‘thought he was gay.’
Colton Underwood’s relationship history and time on The Bachelor
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman (August 2016-April 2017)
Colton asked Aly out on a date via a pre-recorded video while she was filming a Yahoo! Sports segment about what she was looking for in a boyfriend.
In the video, Colton praised Aly’s Olympic success, before telling her that if she is ‘ever in San Jose’, he would love to take her out on a double date.
Aly followed up with the sports star on Twitter, thanking him for the video and saying she was ‘looking forward to meeting him’.
Soon after, the couple began dating, and attended several high-profile events together, including a Golden Globes after party in January 2017.
In his book, The First Time, Colton revealed that he told Aly he was a virgin during their second date, and said that they both agreed to take things slowly; she later opened up about the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of pedophile doctor Larry Nassar, with the NFL player admitting that he wanted to ‘find Nassar and rip his head off’ after she shared the trauma he had put her through.
However, their relationship came to an abrupt end in April of that same year, with Colton later revealing that the gymnast left him broken hearted after ending their romance via FaceTime.
‘I pulled over to the side of the road, stunned an unable to comprehend this was happening,’ he revealed. ‘Aly said she felt overwhelmed, confused and in need of a break. Afterward, I sat in my car and cried. I was numb for days.’
He later admitted that the split was his ‘worst heartbreak’ while describing Aly has his ‘first love’.
The Bachelorette – Becca Kufrin (2018)
Colton made his debut on ABC’s Bachelor franchise as a contestant on the 14th season of The Bachelorette, during which he attempted to capture the heart of star Becca Kufrin.
During the show, Colton revealed to Becca that he was still a virgin, explaining that he had dedicated so much time to his football career that he ‘sort of forgot who personal Colton was… and because of that he was still a virgin’.
The former NFL player admitted during that episode, which aired in July 2018, that he had been afraid the admission would be a ‘deal breaker’ for her. But while she seemed stunned by the confession, Becca later gave Colton a rose and he proceeded through to the next week.
He made it to the final four men, before Becca sent him home in the eighth week of the show after discovering that he still had feelings for her close friend Tia Booth, whom he had dated before appearing on The Bachelorette.
The Bachelor in Paradise (2018)
After being sent home from The Bachelor, Colton went on to land a spot as a contestant on the fifth season of spin-off show Bachelor in Paradise, during which he rekindled his romance with ex Tia for just a few weeks.
Tia had appeared alongside Becca as a contestant in Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s season of The Bachelor, and when it was announced that she would be appearing on the Paradise spin-off, many viewers quickly speculated that she and Colton would begin dating again.
As predicted, Colton and Tia quickly formed a close bond, and the football player soon asked his ex flame to be his girlfriend.
However, he left her broken hearted when he ended their relationship just a few weeks later, admitting that he wasn’t ready to commit.
In his book, Colton insisted that he had never wanted to pursue Tia on the show, claiming that producers had pushed him into the romance, telling him that if he struck up a relationship with her on Bachelor in Paradise, he would have a better shot at being chosen as the next Bachelor.
He said that he ended his relationship with Tia on the spin-off because he felt such immense guilt about stringing her along.
The Bachelor (2019)
Colton was announced as the star of season 23 of The Bachelor, and was quickly labeled ‘the virgin Bachelor’ thanks to his admission that he had never had a sex.
His virginity was a major focus for the majority of the season, with many questioning whether he would choose to have sex with one of the women on the show while filming was taking place.
In addition to the speculation about his sex life, Colton’s debut as The Bachelor quickly became embroiled in controversy when an early teaser clip revealed that he had seemingly quit mid-way through filming.
The footage, which was shown in the premiere episode, showed Colton jumping over a fence and running away from the cameras in a shock twist that left viewers stunned.
During the episodes that led up to that controversial moment, Colton was seen forming a close relationship with contestant Cassie Randolph, who made it through to the final week, during which she and the other remaining woman – Tayshia Adams – had the chance to spend the night with the NFL player.
Many believed that Colton planned to lose his virginity to Cassie during their overnight date, however she shocked viewers by breaking up with him when he revealed that her father had refused to give their relationship his blessing when the couple visited Cassie’s hometown.
Her decision left Colton devastated, and he was seen begging her to stay – even telling Cassie that he would be happy to continue their relationship without an engagement. After she declined, Colton lashed out at the cameras, and fled production, leaping over a fence and running off into the night.
In the follow-up episode, Colton revealed that he had confessed his love to Cassie, who eventually agreed to give the relationship a go – without a proposal.
Colton later hinted in his book that he had lost his virginity to Cassie during filming.
The couple dated from November 2018 until May 2020, when they split – with Cassie, 25, later filing a restraining order against her ex, accusing him of stalking her and putting a tracking device on her car.
She was granted a temporary restraining order that forced Underwood to stay at least 100 yards away from her, in addition to her car, home, workplace, and school.
Cassie accused Colton of harassing her with text messages and showing up at her home uninvited. She also claimed he would loiter outside her parents house in Huntington Beach, California in the early hours of the morning.
Later, Cassie dismissed the restraining order against Colton, and requested to drop the police investigation.
‘Underwood had released a statement to the media, explaining the pair resolved the matter privately. Cassie asked the court to dismiss the temporary restraining order against me,’ he said.
‘The two of us were able to reach a private agreement to address any of Cassie’s concerns. I do not believe Cassie did anything wrong in filing for the restraining orders and also believe she acted in good faith. I appreciate everyone’s respect for privacy regarding this matter.’
Lucy Hale (2020)
In July last year, Colton was spotted enjoying a hike with Pretty Little Liars star Lucy in Los Angeles, and rumors quickly spread that the couple were dating.
A source told People at the time that the pair had ‘hung out a few times’ and were enjoying a ‘casual’ romance, however the reports were never confirmed, and just one day after Colton and Lucy were seen hiking together, she told Entertainment Tonight that she was still single.
