Beyond the Bachelor: Colton Underwood's Path to Embracing His True Self

The Man Enough Podcast

Wayfarer Studios LLC

Education, Health & Fitness, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Mental Health

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 18 January 2024

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp, the world’s largest therapy platform. Visit http://BetterHelp.com/WhatsUnderneath today to get 10% off your first month. Colton Underwood, best known for his appearances on three seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, openly discusses his journey to self-acceptance. He came out as gay after living an extremely public life as a straight man on the reality show and his NFL career, leading him to reflect on the challenges and triumphs of embracing his true identity. Colton shares insights into his mental health struggles and the realizations that compelled him to stop fighting his truth, which was hurting himself and others. During this intimate and accountable conversation, Colton delves into the intersection of fame, personal truth, and the evolving definition of masculinity. He emphasizes the lessons he learned about honesty, vulnerability, and the courage it takes to live authentically, now striving to use his experiences for LGBTQ+ advocacy and to help others that are “hiding in plain sight”. IN THIS EPISODE (00:33) Justin Baldoni Introduces the Episode (02:39) Colton's Joy and Comfort Today vs Most of His Life (04:17) Creating the Image of Straightness in Style and Music Choices as a Boy (07:40) The Pressure of Public Image and Contradictions in Identity (10:05) The Terror of the Locker Room as a Closeted Gay Man (12:32) The Journey to Becoming the Bachelor and Backlash as a Public Figure (15:29) Early Signs of Attraction to Men and Perceptions of Masculinity (17:31) Hiding in Sports and Entertainment, The Bachelor as “Self-Conversion Therapy” (21:20) The Complexity of Public Straight Relationships and His Secret Life (23:40) The Breakup That Broke the Facade, Mental Health Spiral (25:50) Both Holding Himself Accountable for Actions and Owning His Self-Realization (30:13) Facing Blackmail and Forced to Come Out (33:03) Coming Out to His Family (35:25) Taking Care of Mental Health, Controversy, Finding Love & Friendships (45:02) What Does It Mean to be Man Enough? COLTON UNDERWOOD QUOTATIONS “For the first time in my entire life, I get to be present and I don't have to worry about the future and what's going to happen and I don't have to worry about my past…I'm enjoying all of the stages of building, of loving, of learning, and I don't have to run anymore.” (44:32) “I could become the Bachelor and date 30 women. What's straighter than that? Trying self- conversion therapy on myself…There was nothing more that I could have done to declare that I was a straight man more than becoming the Bachelor.” (00:00) “My dad's ride or die. Anything that goes on in my life, he's got my back and I know it. And same with my mom. He helped me get better and helped me handle things and he was trying his best. My entire family was.” (32:06) FOLLOW COLTON UNDERWOOD: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coltonunderwood Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ColtonUnderwoodOfficial FOLLOW MAN ENOUGH: Instagram: http://instagram.com/wearemanenough TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wearemanenough Facebook: http://facebook.com/WeAreManEnough YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/wearemanenough Newsletter: https://manenough.com/newsletter FOLLOW STYLELIKEU: Instagram: http://instagram.com/stylelikeu TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stylelikeu Facebook: http://facebook.com/stylelikeu YouTube: http://YouTube.com/StyleLikeU SPECIAL ADVERTISER OFFERS FOR YOU The What’s Underneath: Masculinity series and this episode are brought to you by BetterHelp. BetterHelp is the world’s largest therapy platform, offering access to licensed, trained, experienced, and accredited psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and board licensed professional counselors. Visit BetterHelp.com/WhatsUnderneath today to get 10% off your first month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I became obsessed with wanting to become the bachelor then because it's like you know they sort of dangle you along and they're like if you do this sets up a path for you to do this and I'm like oh great then I could become the bachelor date 30 women
0:16.8	What's straighter than that trying self-conversion therapy on myself essentially I'm saying like I will become straight this is how I'm
0:24.2	going to do it. There is nothing more that I could have done to declare that I was a
0:28.8	straight man more than becoming the Bachelor. Bachelors. Hello friends, welcome to Man Enough.
0:36.6	I am Justin Baldoni and in this episode of our beautiful partnership with the amazing
0:42.1	YouTube channel style like you.
0:43.7	What's underneath?
0:44.9	Masculinity presented by Better Help.
0:47.7	We have Colton Underwood.
0:49.7	Colton is a former NFL football player.
0:52.9	He's perhaps best known for his three seasons
0:56.0	in the Bachelor franchise.
0:57.5	Colton became the first lead in Bachelor history
1:00.7	to come out as Gay after the show and now he's using his platform to talk about
1:05.1	mental health and focus on LGBT-plus advocacy. In this episode,
1:09.7	Colton is going to walk us through various important experiences that has shaped his relationship
1:15.9	with his own masculinity from the harm that he caused himself and others trying so hard to be
1:21.4	straight through the controversy he caused by coming out
1:24.4	after becoming a bachelor icon through his healing journey and all the beautiful
1:28.9	ways that he's now committed to fully embracing his identity and helping others do the same. This is such an important episode.
1:36.2	Look, Colton's even pushing a bill through Congress to help young boys in sports. He's doing so much.
1:42.2	I happen to be friends with his wonderful husband Jordan.
	...

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