Colton Underwood Is Dating Jordan C. Brown After Coming Out as Gay: 5 Things to Know About Him

Credit: Stewart Cook/Shutterstock; Courtesy of Jordan C. Brown/Instagram

Colton Underwood Is Dating Jordan C. Brown After Coming Out as Gay: 5 Things to Know About Him

Ready to wed! Colton Underwood is engaged to political strategist Jordan C. Brown after less than one year of dating. The former Bachelor and Brown went public with their romance last year when they were spotted kissing during a getaway to Hawaii. Underwood and the One Blue Hill founder “were making out and snuggling together on the lounge chairs by the pool,” an eyewitness exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2021. “They were tanning and swimming. They were very out in the open and not hiding their PDA!” Prior to their trip, the reality star tagged Brown and a friend in an Instagram photo in June 2021. “Friends & family,” he captioned the black-and-white selfie. “I love y’all.” Underwood came out during an April 2021 Good Morning America interview. “I’ve ran from myself for a long time, I’ve hated myself for a long time,” he explained. “I’m gay. I came to terms with that earlier this year, and the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know. … I’m the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. That means the world to me.” [jwplayer Oc7jJGGS-zhNYySv2] The Bachelorette alum revealed at the time that he “never allowed” himself to form an “emotional connection” with a man. “It’s never been, sort of, in my cards to let myself get there and I want to more than anything,” he noted, adding that he was “looking for someone who can push me and challenge me in all the great ways.” Underwood then opened up in May 2021 about his past experiences with men. “I was ‘the Virgin Bachelor,’ but I did experiment with men prior to being on The Bachelorette,” he told Variety at the time. “When I say ‘hookups,’ not sex. I want to make that very clear that I did not have sex with a man, prior to that.” Despite his transparency, the TV personality fired back later that month after a fan asked how many men he had hooked up with. “Let me vent for a second. Questions like this are inappropriate. I understand you might know me from The Bachelor where I shared a lot about my personal life,” he wrote via his Instagram Story. “I have set boundaries and I’m respecting myself in a way that will lead me to a healthier life.” Underwood continued: “I never asked to be labeled as the virgin bachelor and have people feel the security to ask me questions about my sex life. It just happened and during that time I thought I had no other choice but to just go with it the network would be mad. I know differently now. I’ll share what I want and this won’t be one of those things.” Scroll through the gallery below to learn more about Brown.

Credit: Courtesy of Jordan C. Brown/Instagram

1. He’s Worked on Several High-Profile Political Campaigns

The Los Angeles resident worked on John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign, advised on Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns and collaborated on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign. He helped celebrities get involved in politics, leveraging the entertainment community’s reach to spur engagement.  

More recently, Brown has worked with Democratic party leaders to revamp messaging and strategies.  

Credit: Courtesy of Jordan C. Brown/Instagram

2. His Ex Is a Painter

Brown's ex-partner is Paul Rusconi, who is a painter. There are still traces of their relationship on Brown’s Instagram, such as a February 2020 post that reads, “Well this is fun. @sophiabush on the cover of @elledecor and I think I spy a painting by my [love] @rusconistudios. Congratulations to you both.”  

In January 2018, he shared a black-and-white shot of himself kissing the curator, along with the caption, “Happy Anniversary you Dreamboat.”  

Credit: Courtesy of Jordan C. Brown/Instagram

3. He Was Close With His Ex's Two Kids

The Stanford graduate often shared photos with his ex's daughters Zella and Blaze. The family also had four chickens and a dog.  

Credit: Courtesy of Jordan C. Brown/Instagram

4. He Has A-List Friends

Brown’s Instagram profile features photos with Sophia Bush, Olivia Wilde and Gus Kenworthy, who is a pal of Underwood’s. “I LOVE YOU FOREVER, JB!” the House alum, 37, commented on a birthday tribute he wrote for her in March 2021. 

Credit: Courtesy of Colton Underwood/Instagram

5. He’s a Music Lover

Brown often shares videos of himself singing and was featured on a 2020 cover of Coldplay’s “Fix You.” 

With reporting by Diana Cooper