Bachelor: Ben Higgins Says Colton Underwood’s Statements Are ‘Not True’
Ben Higgins accused Colton Underwood of lying when he said that Chris Harrison was the only one who reached out to him after he came out as gay.
Former Bachelor star, Ben Higgins, said that the statements made by Colton Underwood that Chris Harrison was the only one to reach out to him after he came out as gay are "not true" because Ben and others did offer their support. In an interview with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America in April 2021, Colton revealed that he is gay. In 2019, the controversial star of The Bachelor season 23 famously jumped over a fence to get away from the cameras after Cassie Randolph left the show. Colton wanted to end the season, but instead he ended his relationships with the remaining women, and chased after Cassie. The show ended with them as a couple, but in May 2020, they announced that they had broken up, but were on good terms.
Things started to change in July 2020 after Cassie and Colton had a few public arguments about how they were publicly discussing the breakup after they agreed to keep things private. It escalated in September 2020 when Cassie filed a restraining order against Colton after he had planted a tracking device in her car and continued to send her text messages and tried to see her. The restraining order was dropped in November 2020. When he came out as gay, Colton admitted that he was so in love with Cassie that he was confused by his feelings, and he apologized for any pain he caused Cassie. In December 2021, his Netflix series, Coming Out Colton premiered, and he again expressed remorse for his actions, saying that the restraining order was the wakeup call he needed to come out as gay and live his truth. Cassie was asked to be in the series, but she said no, and sources say that she is very upset that her name is being brought into this situation again. Fans were outraged that Colton was given a platform after his behavior. Bachelor Nation has expressed support for Cassie, and on Coming Out Colton, Colton made his claim about Chris Harrison being the only one to offer him support, and said that he doesn't keep in touch with anyone else from the show.
On The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcast hosted by Ben and Ashley Iaconetti, Ben revealed that Colton's statement that no one except for Chris Harrison contacted him after coming out is "just not true." He confessed that "It kind of erupted my gut а little bit," and as a result he has not watched the documentary due to his pride, but maybe he will eventually. Ben was very upset by Colton accusing his friends of not reaching out to him, saying, "I know of multiple people that did, including myself, including friends of mine that reached out to him. So I don't know why he's saying that. Like I just don't get it. I don't know if that's a good headline. I don't know if it makes the rest of us look unsupportive or what." Ashley agreed with Ben, saying that she knew that he had contacted Colton, and she knew of others who had as well.
Ben was especially hurt because he didn't just send Colton a message, but "I sent him a book about how you navigate being a Christian and coming out. So I just don't understand this stuff sometimes. It's like are you just trying to make everybody else look bad and for people to feel bad?" Ashley pointed out that Ben and Colton live so close to each other, implying that Colton will eventually have to face Ben. Ben was clearly upset by Colton's actions, concluding with, "Colton, I know people who did, including myself, and so that’s just a lie. Like it is."
If what Ben is saying is true, fans have to wonder what Colton's motivation was when he said that Chris Harrison was the only one who supported him when he came out. Whether he did it for sympathy or to make others look bad as Ben speculated is something only he knows. Perhaps Colton can make this right by clarifying or retracting his statements in the future. For now, Ben can only wonder why Colton would choose to say something that he feels is completely untrue.
The Bachelor season 26 premieres Monday, January 3, 2022 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: The Ben and Ashley I. Almost Famous Podcast