Colton Underwood

Colton Underwood was born in Indianapolis on January 26, 1992, and grew up in Washington, Illinois. After high school, he studied at Illinois State University, where he played football for the Illinois State Redbirds.

He played in the NFL from 2014 to 2016. Following his retirement, he launched the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation in honor of his cousin Harper, who was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at the age of 4.

The former athlete’s reality TV career started when he competed for Becca Kufrin’s heart on The Bachelorette season 14 in 2018 after his split from Olympian Aly Raisman. He later joined the cast of Bachelor in Paradise season 5, where he briefly rekindled his romance with his ex-girlfriend Tia Booth. Underwood was named the lead of The Bachelor season 23 and became known as one of the few virgins to star on the ABC franchise. He quickly fell in love with Cassie Randolph, and though she broke up with him before their fantasy suite date, they ultimately reconciled in the finale. The twosome announced their split in May 2020, and she later filed a restraining order against him, which was eventually dropped.

In April 2021, he publicly came out as gay during a Good Morning America interview. Following the December 2021 premiere of his Netflix documentary, Coming Out Colton, Underwood made his relationship with Jordan C. Brown Instagram official. The couple got engaged in January 2022 and tied the knot in May 2023 after more than two years of dating. They welcomed their first baby, a son, via surrogate in September 2024.