Hard at work! Colton Underwood’s new reality series will feature Olympian Gus Kenworthy, Us Weekly can confirm.
The freestyle skier, 29, has been helping Underwood, also 29, with his coming out process and adapting to his new lifestyle, a source tells Us.
The former Bachelor was spotted shooting scenes for his new Netflix show alongside his dad, Scott, and Kenworthy, ahead of his appearance on Good Morning America on Wednesday, April 14, when he revealed that he is gay.
“Obviously this year’s been a lot for a lot of people, and it’s probably when a lot of people look at themselves in the mirror and figure out what they’ve been running from and what they’ve been putting off in their lives. I ran from myself for a long time,” Underwood told GMA’s Robin Roberts. “I hated myself for a long time. I’m gay, and I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it. The next step in all of this was sort of letting people know.”
The former football player, who first joined Bachelor Nation in 2018 when competing for Becca Kufrin’s heart on season 14 of The Bachelorette, explained it took overcoming a “dark” time in his personal life before he could speak his truth.
The reality star, who split from Cassie Randolph in May 2020 after meeting on season 23 of The Bachelor, admitted that he dealt with suicidal thoughts before being open about his sexuality.
“I think overall the reason why now is because I got to a place where I didn’t think I was ever going to share this. I would have rather died than say, ‘I’m gay,’” he said, adding that he’s now the “happiest and healthiest” he’s ever been.
Shortly after making headlines for coming out, the New York Post’s Page Six published photos of Underwood with Kenworthy walking around the Big Apple earlier in the week. The snaps showed the duo smiling alongside Underwood’s dad as they filmed for the upcoming series in front of a Citipups store.
Kenworthy, for his part, is no stranger to being in the limelight for his athletic talents and for speaking out about his sexuality. In 2015, the British-American skier revealed that he is gay during an interview with ESPN.
Three years later, the silver medalist exclusively told Us how his coming out journey impacted his professional skiing career as he competed in his second Olympic games.
“After I came out, that weight was lifted off my shoulders,” Kenworthy said in February 2018. “And now I’m so happy to be here, competing as my authentic self, at the Olympics as an openly gay athlete. I think the Olympics are a time for the world to come together and put aside differences, but we’re also coming to represent ourselves, our communities and our countries, so I think it’s important to stand up and be a voice.”
Scroll down to learn more about Underwood’s new series and what role Kenworthy will play in it.
Us confirmed on April 14 that Kenworthy will appear on the new series. Underwood was also spotted filming the show alongside his father, Scott, ahead of his Good Morning America interview. Faye Sadou/Media Punch/INSTAR
Us learned on April 14 that Underwood is currently filming for an unnamed Netflix reality show. The network has not yet commented on the series. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP/Shutterstock
The former NFL player is stepping back in front of the camera to document his new journey as an openly gay man, after coming out publicly on April 14. "I’m emotional, but I’m emotional in such a positive way,” Underwood said at the time, revealing where he stands after coming to terms with his sexuality. “I’m the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life and that means the world to me." Media Punch/INSTAR
The Legacy Foundation creator was spotted shooting the project in New York City in early April 2021, ahead of his GMA reveal. Photographs published by the New York Post’s Page Six on April 14, showed Underwood smiling and talking with Kenworthy and his dad in the city. Shutterstock
The series will feature Underwood coming out to his parents, he revealed to Variety in May 2021. "If it just helps a few young men and women come out and be proud of themselves and understand that all parents aren’t going to be upset, it can save lives," his father, Scott Underwood, said at the time. Shutterstock
Randolph filed a restraining order against Underwood in September 2020, accusing him of harassment and stalking. She ultimately asked the court to dismiss the order after the exes reached “a private agreement,” he told Us in November 2020. Kenworthy confirmed in June 2021 that Underwood’s upcoming series will cover the controversy that surrounded his coming out after the legal drama. “When he came out, the show was also leaked and it took things out of context, and also, like, the information that was leaked wasn't even necessarily correct,” he exclusively told Us. “So he and I both took kind of a lot of heat online that I felt like was sort of unnecessary and some of it I don't even disagree with, and people had qualms and wanted an explanation of his situation with his ex. I think that that's totally fair and valid that people took issue with that, and I think that the show will address that.” The athlete added that it was “not fair for people to be hypercritical” of Underwood’s coming out because it was going to be “difficult” regardless of his past. “It sort of feels like you're drowning sometimes. And then you get through that and you climb up the ladder and I think people are too quick to pull the ladder up after them,” he noted. “There's other people that still need help, and Colton was one of them.” Stewart Cook/Shutterstock; Sara De Boer/startraksphoto.com
The short answer is no. "Cassie hasn't been paying attention to the news and what is being teased about Colton's documentary," a source told Us in June 2021. "She hasn't heard details of what is going to be said about their past relationship and she's certainly not going to make any appearances in it." Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA; Matt Baron/Shutterstock
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