Country artists Ty Herndon and Billy Gilman e out as gay - The Washgton Post

Contents:

• 'BACHELOR' ALUM CASSIE RANDOLPH ON HOW SHE 'FOUND OUT' ABOUT EX COLTON UNRWOOD COMG OUT AS GAY
• COLTON UNRWOOD’S ‘COMG OUT COLTON’ WRAPS A PILE OF GARBAGE A RABOW FLAGNOW ON NETFLIXCOLTON UNRWOOD ISN’T HIDG OM HIS EX’S ALLEGATNS THAT HE STALKED HER LAST YEAR, BUT HIS DOCUMENTARY FEELS SIGNED TO SHIFT THE NARRATIVE. IF ONLY HAD SOMETHG TO SAY.LRA BRADLEYSENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED DEC. 02, 2021 5:09AM EST / PUBLISHED DEC. 02, 2021 4:51AM EST CALEB ALVARADO/NETFLIXTHERE ARE OBV METAPHORS, AND THEN THERE’S COLTON UNRWOOD STANDG SHIRTLS A PAIR OF ANGEL WGS, RABOW FLAG SLUNG OVER HIS SHOULRS LIKE A PE. IN NETFLIX’S COMG OUT COLTON, THE FORMER BACHELOR ATTEMPTS TO MOVE ON OM A TUMULTUO 2020 WHICH HIS EX-GIRLIEND CASSIE RANDOLPH RECEIVED A TEMPORARY RTRAG ORR AGAST HIM. UNRWOOD ME OUT AS GAY MONTHS AFTER THE CINT; AN TERVIEW WH VARIETY THIS SPRG, HE CLAIMED HE’D BEEN BLACKMAILED TO DOG SO. THE STREAMG SERI OBSERV UNRWOOD SHARG HIS SEXUALY WH HIS FAY AND THE WORLD. AS HARD AS THIS PRODUCTN WORKS TO TELEGRAPH SCERY, HOWEVER, ’S HARD TO SHAKE THE FEELG THAT NONE OF THIS IS BEG DONE “FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.” AS CYNIL OBSERVERS MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED, THIS DOCERI (BT READ WH FORCEFUL AIR-QUOT) AM LAST YEAR’S UPHEAVAL AS A DARK SPOT ON UNRWOOD’S ROAD TO G OUT. “I’M TRYG TO DO RIGHT BY A MUNY THAT I’VE N OM,” UNRWOOD SAYS. BUT IF THE ARGUMENT FOR COMG OUT COLTON’S EXISTENCE IS S POTENTIAL EVANGELIL POWER—THE CHANCE THAT MIGHT TEACH STRAIGHT BACHELOR GOSSIP-HOUNDS OR FOOTBALL FANS ABOUT THE GAYS AND OUR HISTORY—PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE WAED FOR HIM TO FISH THE READGS BEFORE STREAMG THE TRAILER FOR HIS BOOK REPORT. FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KEEP TRACK OF THE GS AND GOGS OF BACHELOR NATN: UNRWOOD, A FORMER PROFSNAL FOOTBALL PLAYER OM INDIANA, PETED ON BEC KU’S 2018 SEASON OF THE BACHELORETTE. THE THEN-26-YEAR-OLD HAD PREVLY DATED OLYMPIC GYMNAST ALY RAISMAN, AND AFTER A SOUR TURN ON BACHELOR PARADISE HE EARNED SOMETHG OF A REPUTATN BACHELOR NATN AS A FAME-SEEKG PLAYER. CUE HIS BACHELOR SEASON 2019, WHICH BRAND UNRWOOD THE “VIRG BACHELOR”—A SEASON-LONG NOD TO HIS REVELATN KU’S SEASON THAT HE’D NEVER HAD SEX. THE JOURNEY CULMATED A WILY TEASED MOST DRAMATIC MOMENT EVER™ WHICH UNRWOOD JUMPED A FENCE, ALL FOR THE LOVE OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE CASSIE RANDOLPH. THAT UNRWOOD AND RANDOLPH NEVER MA DOWN THE AISLE IS HARDLY A SURPRISE—THE BACHELOR ISN’T EXACTLY KNOWN FOR S MARAL SUCCS RATE. BUT RANDOLPH’S REQUT FOR A RTRAG ORR ALLEGED THAT UNRWOOD HAD SENT HER AND HIMSELF IGHTENG TEXT MSAG OM A PRIVATE NUMBER PRETENDG TO BE A STALKER, THAT HE’D BEGUN TAKG OBSSIVE WALKS BY HER HOE AND PLACED A TRACKG VICE HER R, THAT HE’D LURKED OUTSI THE WDOW OF HER BEDROOM AT HER PARENTS’ HOE AT 2 A.M. MONTHS LATER, RANDOLPH DROPPED THE REQUT AND UNRWOOD SHARED A STATEMENT THAT SAID THEY’D REACHED A PRIVATE AGREEMENT. “I DO NOT BELIEVE CASSIE DID ANYTHG WRONG FILG FOR THE RTRAG ORRS AND ALSO BELIEVE SHE ACTED GOOD FAH,” HE WROTE. “I APPRECIATE EVERYONE’S RPECT FOR PRIVACY REGARDG THIS MATTER.”UNRWOOD ME OUT AS GAY THIS APRIL WH A GENTLE, SPLASHY TERVIEW ON GOOD MORNG AMERI, AND REPORTS SOON EMERGED THAT NETFLIX WAS WORKG ON A SERI ABOUT HIM. AS TURNS OUT, COMG OUT COLTON WAS ALREADY UNRWAY BY THE TIME S SUBJECT APPEARED ON GMA. PERHAPS THAT’S WHAT ROBERTS MEANT WHEN SHE TOLD HER FELLOW ANCHORS THAT UNRWOOD “HAS REALLY TAKEN THE TIME.” THE QUTN REMAS: TO DO WHAT? LIKE MANY VANY PROJECTS BEFORE (HBO MAX’S WAHL STREET, THAT GOD-AWFUL PEACK RYAN LOCHTE SHOW) COMG OUT COLTON HEWS TOO CLOSELY TO S SUBJECT TO TABLISH CRIL SIGHT. EACH OF THE SIX EPISOS FOC ON ONE THEME: “FAY,” “FOOTBALL,” “FRIENDS,” “CHURCH,” “THE PUBLIC, ” AND “PAST & FUTURE.” SOMBER MIC AND REFULLY-SHOT TERVIEWS MIGHT EVOKE THE LOOK OF A DOCUMENTARY, BUT THERE’S LTLE SUBSTANCE TO BE FOUND. INSTEAD WE OBSERVE FAIAR STORY BEATS—ALL ANIZED TO PAT UNRWOOD AS THE HARMLS, NONSPECIFIC STAND- FOR CLOSETED YOUTH EVERYWHERE, PECIALLY THOSE WHO HAPPEN TO BE WHE CHRISTIANS. OLYMPIC SKIER G KENWORTHY, UNRWOOD’S IEND AND “GAY GUI” (A TLE THAT QUICKLY DISAPPEARED DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA MOCKERY), PAR HIM TO A GOLN RETRIEVER PUPPY.SO, WHAT DO COLTON’S JOURNEY TO THE QUEER MUNY LOOK LIKE? IT’S G TAKG OUR BOY COLTON TO A SEX SHOP TO TRY ON HARNS AND ASK SUCH CISIVE QUTNS AS, “WHAT’S CIS MEAN?” (IT’S HERE THAT THE AFOREMENTNED SHIRTLS-ANGEL MOMENT TRANSPIRED.) IT’S COLTON “LEARNG” THAT GAY PEOPLE N LIKE UNTRY MIC BY CHILLG ON A PARTY B WH CMT PERSONALY CODY ALAN. IT’S COLTON TALKG TO A BLACK TRANS PRIT ABOUT HOW TO FIVE HIMSELF FOR THE DAMAGE HE ED BEFORE G OUT. (“LEGALLY I N’T TALK ABOUT ,” HE SAYS REFERENCE TO THE RANDOLPH CINT, “AND THE ONLY PERSON I HAVE TO BLAME IS MYSELF.”) AND ’S LOTS OF AWKWARD NVERSATNS WH RELATIV WHO SHOCKGLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY WHEN SEEMGLY AMBHED WH A FULL MERA CREW. I STARED AWE AS UNRWOOD PAID A VIS TO THE THE STONEWALL INN, WHERE HE REFLECTED ON GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS’ FIGHT FOR HIS RIGHT TO APPEAR ON GOOD MORNG AMERI AND SAY “HEY, I’M GAY” AND LEARNED THAT UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, YOU ULD BE FIRED FOR BEG GAY. IF THIS TRIUMPH OF TNAL PROGRAMMG DON’T MAKE YOU WANT TO JUMP ON A FLOAT WAVG A RABOW FLAG AND SCREAMG YAS, GAY RIGHTS! AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS, I N’T IMAGE WHAT ELSE WOULD. “I JT WANT TO DO MY HOMEWORK NOW,” UNRWOOD SAYS—VG , FOR THE BRIEFT MOMENT, TO IMAGE WHAT THIS SERI MIGHT HAVE LOOKED LIKE IF HE HAD ANYTHG TO SAY ABOUT HIS SEXUALY BEYOND POTG OUT OVER AND OVER AGA.IT’S NOT THAT UNRWOOD’S STORY HAS NO VALUE. GIVEN THE ANTI-GAY SENTIMENT THAT NTU TO PERVA MOST LOCKER ROOMS, PLENTY OF YOUNG, CLOSETED FOOTBALL PLAYERS MIGHT SEE THEMSELV UNRWOOD. THE “CHURCH” EPISO ALSO SEEMS BOUND TO RONATE WH PLENTY OF YOUNG CHRISTIANS WHO REMA CLOSETED TO AVOID BEG OSTRACIZED AS A “SNERS.” BUT UNRWOOD’S RELATNSHIP WH THE STUTNS IS SENTIALLY THE SHOW’S—SO WHILE A MORE OBJECTIVE STORYTELLER MIGHT HAVE FOUND AN TERTG VANTAGE POT, THE SERI MOSTLY JT HS ALL THE EXPECTED BEATS. MOSTLY, HOWEVER, ’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SHAKE THE IMPRSN THAT ALL OF THIS IS PART OF A BROAR PUBLICY MPAIGN SIGNED TO RELEGATE WHAT HAPPENED WH RANDOLPH TO THE PAST AND PROTECT UNRWOOD’S PLACE THE SPOTLIGHT. “MOSTLY, HOWEVER, ’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SHAKE THE IMPRSN THAT ALL OF THIS IS PART OF A BROAR PUBLICY MPAIGN SIGNED TO RELEGATE WHAT HAPPENED WH RANDOLPH TO THE PAST AND PROTECT UNRWOOD’S PLACE THE SPOTLIGHT. ” UNRWOOD NEVER NI ANY OF THE ALLEGATNS MA AGAST HIM. AT ONE POT HE MEETS WH MUTUAL IENDS OF HIS AND CASSIE’S—ONE OF WHOM TELLS HIM THAT REGARDLS OF WHAT HE WAS GOG THROUGH AS HE ME TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY, “WHAT YOU FUCKG PUT HER THROUGH WAS BULLSH.” THE ALLEGED STALKG, UNRWOOD REPEATEDLY SAYS, WAS A SPERATE GRASP FOR NTROL; RANDOLPH WAS THE WOMAN HE THOUGHT WOULD EHER TURN HIM STRAIGHT OR PROVE HE WAS GAY ONCE AND FOR ALL. HE SAYS HE SELF-MEDITED WH XANAX AND THAT AT ONE POT HE TOOK SO MANY HE THOUGHT HE WOULDN’T WAKE UP. REVEREND NILE GARCIA’S ADVICE TO HIM REGARDG HOW TO MOVE ON OM THAT? “THE BT THG YOU N DO IS WORK ON YOU AND FACE UP TO WHAT YOU’VE DONE BEFORE YOU GET YOUR NEXT RELATNSHIP, BEFORE YOU GO AND FUCK UP SOMEBODY ELSE’S LIFE. TAKE RPONSIBILY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE AND THEN WORK ON NOT DOG AGA.”COMG OUT COLTON WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT ’S PART OF THAT WORK. BUT IF THE PAST FEW YEARS OF CELEBRY AND RPORATE APOLOGIA HAVE TGHT ANYTHG, ’S THAT A PROPER “I’M SORRY” SHOULD NTA A FEW BASIC ELEMENTS THAT ARE MISSG HERE. UNRWOOD ALLEG HE IS LEGALLY BARRED OM NAMG THE SPECIFIC ACTNS THAT HE’S SUPPOSEDLY “OWNG,” AND ALTHOUGH ’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE HE MA RTUTN TO CASSIE DURG THEIR PRIVATE TERACTNS, THAT REMAS UNCERTA. UNRWOOD SAYS THAT THEY HAVE NOT DISCSED THE PROJECT AND THAT HE DOUBTS HE’LL HEAR OM HER AFTER S RELEASE. A SOURCE CLOSE TO RANDOLPH DID, HOWEVER, PROVI A MENT TO PAGE SIX: “CASSIE REALLY JT WANTS TO MOVE PAST ANY DRAMA HAVG TO DO WH COLTON,” THE SOURCE SAID. “SHE’S BEG ROPED BACK TO ALL THIS COLTON MS BEE OF THE NETFLIX SHOW... THERE ARE A LOT OF BAD MEMORI ASSOCIATED WH THE END OF THEIR RELATNSHIP AND SHE WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO PLETELY SEPARATE HERSELF OM HIS NARRATIVE.” UNRWOOD, SEEMS, IS READY FOR THAT SEPARATN AS WELL. IN THE END, WE FD HIM STARG OUT ONTO A PLACID LAKE, HAT BACKWARDS, SOUNDTRACKED BY WHAT PTNS SCRIBE AS “GENTLE MIC.” “I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF UNTOLD STORI THE LGBTQ+ MUNY,” UNRWOOD SAYS. “AND I’M GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO ADD MY STORY TO THE NVERSATN, TO PH FORWARD UNTIL STORI LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, DON’T HAVE TO BE TOLD ANYMORE.”ON THAT LAST PART, AT LEAST, WE FELY AGREE. LRA BRADLEY
• BACHELOR'' NATN STARS REACT TO COLTON UNRWOOD COMG OUT AS GAY: 'YOU HAVE MY LOVE AND SUPPORT'
• COUNTRY ARTISTS TY HERNDON AND BILLY GILMAN E OUT AS GAY

'BACHELOR' ALUM CASSIE RANDOLPH ON HOW SHE 'FOUND OUT' ABOUT EX COLTON UNRWOOD COMG OUT AS GAY

AFTER publicly g out as gay, Colton Unrwood unveiled his new boyiend, Jordan C Brown, whom he lled his 'love' a sentimental post on his Instagram Story amid the Comg Out Colton premiere. He me out as gay April. I'm gay.

COLTON UNRWOOD’S ‘COMG OUT COLTON’ WRAPS A PILE OF GARBAGE A RABOW FLAGNOW ON NETFLIXCOLTON UNRWOOD ISN’T HIDG OM HIS EX’S ALLEGATNS THAT HE STALKED HER LAST YEAR, BUT HIS DOCUMENTARY FEELS SIGNED TO SHIFT THE NARRATIVE. IF ONLY HAD SOMETHG TO SAY.LRA BRADLEYSENR ENTERTAMENT REPORTERUPDATED DEC. 02, 2021 5:09AM EST / PUBLISHED DEC. 02, 2021 4:51AM EST CALEB ALVARADO/NETFLIXTHERE ARE OBV METAPHORS, AND THEN THERE’S COLTON UNRWOOD STANDG SHIRTLS A PAIR OF ANGEL WGS, RABOW FLAG SLUNG OVER HIS SHOULRS LIKE A PE. IN NETFLIX’S COMG OUT COLTON, THE FORMER BACHELOR ATTEMPTS TO MOVE ON OM A TUMULTUO 2020 WHICH HIS EX-GIRLIEND CASSIE RANDOLPH RECEIVED A TEMPORARY RTRAG ORR AGAST HIM. UNRWOOD ME OUT AS GAY MONTHS AFTER THE CINT; AN TERVIEW WH VARIETY THIS SPRG, HE CLAIMED HE’D BEEN BLACKMAILED TO DOG SO. THE STREAMG SERI OBSERV UNRWOOD SHARG HIS SEXUALY WH HIS FAY AND THE WORLD. AS HARD AS THIS PRODUCTN WORKS TO TELEGRAPH SCERY, HOWEVER, ’S HARD TO SHAKE THE FEELG THAT NONE OF THIS IS BEG DONE “FOR THE RIGHT REASONS.” AS CYNIL OBSERVERS MIGHT HAVE EXPECTED, THIS DOCERI (BT READ WH FORCEFUL AIR-QUOT) AM LAST YEAR’S UPHEAVAL AS A DARK SPOT ON UNRWOOD’S ROAD TO G OUT. “I’M TRYG TO DO RIGHT BY A MUNY THAT I’VE N OM,” UNRWOOD SAYS. BUT IF THE ARGUMENT FOR COMG OUT COLTON’S EXISTENCE IS S POTENTIAL EVANGELIL POWER—THE CHANCE THAT MIGHT TEACH STRAIGHT BACHELOR GOSSIP-HOUNDS OR FOOTBALL FANS ABOUT THE GAYS AND OUR HISTORY—PERHAPS WE SHOULD HAVE WAED FOR HIM TO FISH THE READGS BEFORE STREAMG THE TRAILER FOR HIS BOOK REPORT. FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KEEP TRACK OF THE GS AND GOGS OF BACHELOR NATN: UNRWOOD, A FORMER PROFSNAL FOOTBALL PLAYER OM INDIANA, PETED ON BEC KU’S 2018 SEASON OF THE BACHELORETTE. THE THEN-26-YEAR-OLD HAD PREVLY DATED OLYMPIC GYMNAST ALY RAISMAN, AND AFTER A SOUR TURN ON BACHELOR PARADISE HE EARNED SOMETHG OF A REPUTATN BACHELOR NATN AS A FAME-SEEKG PLAYER. CUE HIS BACHELOR SEASON 2019, WHICH BRAND UNRWOOD THE “VIRG BACHELOR”—A SEASON-LONG NOD TO HIS REVELATN KU’S SEASON THAT HE’D NEVER HAD SEX. THE JOURNEY CULMATED A WILY TEASED MOST DRAMATIC MOMENT EVER™ WHICH UNRWOOD JUMPED A FENCE, ALL FOR THE LOVE OF CALIFORNIA NATIVE CASSIE RANDOLPH. THAT UNRWOOD AND RANDOLPH NEVER MA DOWN THE AISLE IS HARDLY A SURPRISE—THE BACHELOR ISN’T EXACTLY KNOWN FOR S MARAL SUCCS RATE. BUT RANDOLPH’S REQUT FOR A RTRAG ORR ALLEGED THAT UNRWOOD HAD SENT HER AND HIMSELF IGHTENG TEXT MSAG OM A PRIVATE NUMBER PRETENDG TO BE A STALKER, THAT HE’D BEGUN TAKG OBSSIVE WALKS BY HER HOE AND PLACED A TRACKG VICE HER R, THAT HE’D LURKED OUTSI THE WDOW OF HER BEDROOM AT HER PARENTS’ HOE AT 2 A.M. MONTHS LATER, RANDOLPH DROPPED THE REQUT AND UNRWOOD SHARED A STATEMENT THAT SAID THEY’D REACHED A PRIVATE AGREEMENT. “I DO NOT BELIEVE CASSIE DID ANYTHG WRONG FILG FOR THE RTRAG ORRS AND ALSO BELIEVE SHE ACTED GOOD FAH,” HE WROTE. “I APPRECIATE EVERYONE’S RPECT FOR PRIVACY REGARDG THIS MATTER.”UNRWOOD ME OUT AS GAY THIS APRIL WH A GENTLE, SPLASHY TERVIEW ON GOOD MORNG AMERI, AND REPORTS SOON EMERGED THAT NETFLIX WAS WORKG ON A SERI ABOUT HIM. AS TURNS OUT, COMG OUT COLTON WAS ALREADY UNRWAY BY THE TIME S SUBJECT APPEARED ON GMA. PERHAPS THAT’S WHAT ROBERTS MEANT WHEN SHE TOLD HER FELLOW ANCHORS THAT UNRWOOD “HAS REALLY TAKEN THE TIME.” THE QUTN REMAS: TO DO WHAT? LIKE MANY VANY PROJECTS BEFORE (HBO MAX’S WAHL STREET, THAT GOD-AWFUL PEACK RYAN LOCHTE SHOW) COMG OUT COLTON HEWS TOO CLOSELY TO S SUBJECT TO TABLISH CRIL SIGHT. EACH OF THE SIX EPISOS FOC ON ONE THEME: “FAY,” “FOOTBALL,” “FRIENDS,” “CHURCH,” “THE PUBLIC, ” AND “PAST & FUTURE.” SOMBER MIC AND REFULLY-SHOT TERVIEWS MIGHT EVOKE THE LOOK OF A DOCUMENTARY, BUT THERE’S LTLE SUBSTANCE TO BE FOUND. INSTEAD WE OBSERVE FAIAR STORY BEATS—ALL ANIZED TO PAT UNRWOOD AS THE HARMLS, NONSPECIFIC STAND- FOR CLOSETED YOUTH EVERYWHERE, PECIALLY THOSE WHO HAPPEN TO BE WHE CHRISTIANS. OLYMPIC SKIER G KENWORTHY, UNRWOOD’S IEND AND “GAY GUI” (A TLE THAT QUICKLY DISAPPEARED DUE TO SOCIAL MEDIA MOCKERY), PAR HIM TO A GOLN RETRIEVER PUPPY.SO, WHAT DO COLTON’S JOURNEY TO THE QUEER MUNY LOOK LIKE? IT’S G TAKG OUR BOY COLTON TO A SEX SHOP TO TRY ON HARNS AND ASK SUCH CISIVE QUTNS AS, “WHAT’S CIS MEAN?” (IT’S HERE THAT THE AFOREMENTNED SHIRTLS-ANGEL MOMENT TRANSPIRED.) IT’S COLTON “LEARNG” THAT GAY PEOPLE N LIKE UNTRY MIC BY CHILLG ON A PARTY B WH CMT PERSONALY CODY ALAN. IT’S COLTON TALKG TO A BLACK TRANS PRIT ABOUT HOW TO FIVE HIMSELF FOR THE DAMAGE HE ED BEFORE G OUT. (“LEGALLY I N’T TALK ABOUT ,” HE SAYS REFERENCE TO THE RANDOLPH CINT, “AND THE ONLY PERSON I HAVE TO BLAME IS MYSELF.”) AND ’S LOTS OF AWKWARD NVERSATNS WH RELATIV WHO SHOCKGLY DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY WHEN SEEMGLY AMBHED WH A FULL MERA CREW. I STARED AWE AS UNRWOOD PAID A VIS TO THE THE STONEWALL INN, WHERE HE REFLECTED ON GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS’ FIGHT FOR HIS RIGHT TO APPEAR ON GOOD MORNG AMERI AND SAY “HEY, I’M GAY” AND LEARNED THAT UP UNTIL VERY RECENTLY, YOU ULD BE FIRED FOR BEG GAY. IF THIS TRIUMPH OF TNAL PROGRAMMG DON’T MAKE YOU WANT TO JUMP ON A FLOAT WAVG A RABOW FLAG AND SCREAMG YAS, GAY RIGHTS! AT THE TOP OF YOUR LUNGS, I N’T IMAGE WHAT ELSE WOULD. “I JT WANT TO DO MY HOMEWORK NOW,” UNRWOOD SAYS—VG , FOR THE BRIEFT MOMENT, TO IMAGE WHAT THIS SERI MIGHT HAVE LOOKED LIKE IF HE HAD ANYTHG TO SAY ABOUT HIS SEXUALY BEYOND POTG OUT OVER AND OVER AGA.IT’S NOT THAT UNRWOOD’S STORY HAS NO VALUE. GIVEN THE ANTI-GAY SENTIMENT THAT NTU TO PERVA MOST LOCKER ROOMS, PLENTY OF YOUNG, CLOSETED FOOTBALL PLAYERS MIGHT SEE THEMSELV UNRWOOD. THE “CHURCH” EPISO ALSO SEEMS BOUND TO RONATE WH PLENTY OF YOUNG CHRISTIANS WHO REMA CLOSETED TO AVOID BEG OSTRACIZED AS A “SNERS.” BUT UNRWOOD’S RELATNSHIP WH THE STUTNS IS SENTIALLY THE SHOW’S—SO WHILE A MORE OBJECTIVE STORYTELLER MIGHT HAVE FOUND AN TERTG VANTAGE POT, THE SERI MOSTLY JT HS ALL THE EXPECTED BEATS. MOSTLY, HOWEVER, ’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SHAKE THE IMPRSN THAT ALL OF THIS IS PART OF A BROAR PUBLICY MPAIGN SIGNED TO RELEGATE WHAT HAPPENED WH RANDOLPH TO THE PAST AND PROTECT UNRWOOD’S PLACE THE SPOTLIGHT. “MOSTLY, HOWEVER, ’S IMPOSSIBLE TO SHAKE THE IMPRSN THAT ALL OF THIS IS PART OF A BROAR PUBLICY MPAIGN SIGNED TO RELEGATE WHAT HAPPENED WH RANDOLPH TO THE PAST AND PROTECT UNRWOOD’S PLACE THE SPOTLIGHT. ” UNRWOOD NEVER NI ANY OF THE ALLEGATNS MA AGAST HIM. AT ONE POT HE MEETS WH MUTUAL IENDS OF HIS AND CASSIE’S—ONE OF WHOM TELLS HIM THAT REGARDLS OF WHAT HE WAS GOG THROUGH AS HE ME TO TERMS WH HIS SEXUALY, “WHAT YOU FUCKG PUT HER THROUGH WAS BULLSH.” THE ALLEGED STALKG, UNRWOOD REPEATEDLY SAYS, WAS A SPERATE GRASP FOR NTROL; RANDOLPH WAS THE WOMAN HE THOUGHT WOULD EHER TURN HIM STRAIGHT OR PROVE HE WAS GAY ONCE AND FOR ALL. HE SAYS HE SELF-MEDITED WH XANAX AND THAT AT ONE POT HE TOOK SO MANY HE THOUGHT HE WOULDN’T WAKE UP. REVEREND NILE GARCIA’S ADVICE TO HIM REGARDG HOW TO MOVE ON OM THAT? “THE BT THG YOU N DO IS WORK ON YOU AND FACE UP TO WHAT YOU’VE DONE BEFORE YOU GET YOUR NEXT RELATNSHIP, BEFORE YOU GO AND FUCK UP SOMEBODY ELSE’S LIFE. TAKE RPONSIBILY FOR WHAT YOU’VE DONE AND THEN WORK ON NOT DOG AGA.”COMG OUT COLTON WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THAT ’S PART OF THAT WORK. BUT IF THE PAST FEW YEARS OF CELEBRY AND RPORATE APOLOGIA HAVE TGHT ANYTHG, ’S THAT A PROPER “I’M SORRY” SHOULD NTA A FEW BASIC ELEMENTS THAT ARE MISSG HERE. UNRWOOD ALLEG HE IS LEGALLY BARRED OM NAMG THE SPECIFIC ACTNS THAT HE’S SUPPOSEDLY “OWNG,” AND ALTHOUGH ’S ENTIRELY POSSIBLE HE MA RTUTN TO CASSIE DURG THEIR PRIVATE TERACTNS, THAT REMAS UNCERTA. UNRWOOD SAYS THAT THEY HAVE NOT DISCSED THE PROJECT AND THAT HE DOUBTS HE’LL HEAR OM HER AFTER S RELEASE. A SOURCE CLOSE TO RANDOLPH DID, HOWEVER, PROVI A MENT TO PAGE SIX: “CASSIE REALLY JT WANTS TO MOVE PAST ANY DRAMA HAVG TO DO WH COLTON,” THE SOURCE SAID. “SHE’S BEG ROPED BACK TO ALL THIS COLTON MS BEE OF THE NETFLIX SHOW... THERE ARE A LOT OF BAD MEMORI ASSOCIATED WH THE END OF THEIR RELATNSHIP AND SHE WISH THERE WAS A WAY TO PLETELY SEPARATE HERSELF OM HIS NARRATIVE.” UNRWOOD, SEEMS, IS READY FOR THAT SEPARATN AS WELL. IN THE END, WE FD HIM STARG OUT ONTO A PLACID LAKE, HAT BACKWARDS, SOUNDTRACKED BY WHAT PTNS SCRIBE AS “GENTLE MIC.” “I KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF UNTOLD STORI THE LGBTQ+ MUNY,” UNRWOOD SAYS. “AND I’M GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO ADD MY STORY TO THE NVERSATN, TO PH FORWARD UNTIL STORI LIKE THIS, YOU KNOW, DON’T HAVE TO BE TOLD ANYMORE.”ON THAT LAST PART, AT LEAST, WE FELY AGREE. LRA BRADLEY

Comg Out Colton is a six-part seri which Colton learns to embrace his homosexualy. The show follows as he opens up about beg gay, shar the news wh fay members, and also tails allegatns ma by ex-girliend Cassie Randolph. 5Colton went pth about his g out and beg gay his new show, Comg Out Colton.

Colton Unrwood publicly g out as gay me as a surprise to his ex-girliend Cassie Randolph. But Randolph eventually revealed how she first disvered the news that Unrwood, 29, is gay after he me out April 2021.

RELATED VIDEO: Cassie Randolph Didn't Know Ex Colton Unrwood Was Gay, Says Source: 'She's Still Procsg'.

BACHELOR'' NATN STARS REACT TO COLTON UNRWOOD COMG OUT AS GAY: 'YOU HAVE MY LOVE AND SUPPORT'

Unrwood me out as gay months after the cint; an terview wh Variety this sprg, he claimed he’d been blackmailed to dog so. But if the argument for Comg Out Colton’s existence is s potential evangelil power—the chance that might teach straight Bachelor gossip-hounds or football fans about the gays and our history—perhaps we should have waed for him to fish the readgs before streamg the trailer for his book those who don’t keep track of the gs and gogs of Bachelor Natn: Unrwood, a former profsnal football player om Indiana, peted on Bec Ku’s 2018 season of The Bachelorette. ”Unrwood me out as gay this April wh a gentle, splashy terview on Good Morng Ameri, and reports soon emerged that Netflix was workg on a seri about him.

Olympic skier G Kenworthy, Unrwood’s iend and “gay gui” (a tle that quickly disappeared due to social media mockery), par him to a goln retriever, what do Colton’s journey to the queer muny look like? ) It’s Colton “learng” that gay people n like untry mic by chillg on a party b wh CMT personaly Cody Alan.

COUNTRY ARTISTS TY HERNDON AND BILLY GILMAN E OUT AS GAY

I stared awe as Unrwood paid a vis to the The Stonewall Inn, where he reflected on gay rights activists’ fight for his right to appear on Good Morng Ameri and say “Hey, I’m gay” and learned that up until very recently, you uld be fired for beg gay. If this triumph of tnal programmg don’t make you want to jump on a float wavg a rabow flag and screamg yas, gay rights! Given the anti-gay sentiment that ntu to perva most locker rooms, plenty of young, closeted football players might see themselv Unrwood.