In 2019, Colton Underwood was the star of The Bachelor, a closeted gay man surrounded by women competing for his heart on national television.
Then comedian Billy Eichner showed up on a group date and joked to his face: “Maybe you’re the first gay Bachelor and we don’t even know!”
Two years later, when Colton came out on Good Morning America, that clip went viral – and the internet treated it like a punchline. But what actually happened between the two men after that moment blew up has never been told.
This week, Billy revealed the private DM he sent Colton, what it said, and how Colton responded. And turns out – it’s a much better story than the memes.
The Joke That Hit Closer Than Anyone Knew
Some context for anyone who needs a refresher. Colton was the lead of Season 23 of The Bachelor in 2019. He was famously known as the “virgin Bachelor” – his lack of sexual experience was practically a character on the show in itself.
What nobody knew at the time, including the production team, was that Colton was a closeted gay man fighting a very private battle with his identity.
Billy appeared on a group date as a kind of camp counselor. When Colton asked Billy what he looks for in a partner, Billy fired back: “I’m gay. I know that’s a shock, Colton. And that – I think you should look into.”
Then came the line: “Maybe you’re the first gay Bachelor and we don’t even know!”
The audience laughed. Billy turned to a camera and deadpanned, “Put that in your promo!” Colton smiled through it.
Now imagine being Colton in that moment. Standing on national television, being told – as a joke – the exact thing you’re most terrified of anyone finding out. And all you can do is smile.
The Coming Out That Changed Everything
In April 2021, Colton sat down with Robin Roberts on Good Morning America and told the truth.
“I’ve ran from myself for a long time and I’ve hated myself for a long time,” he said. “I’m gay.”
He described his mental state in the period before coming out as “dark and bad.” He told Robin that there was a moment in Los Angeles where he didn’t expect to wake up the next morning – and that he hadn’t intended to.
“I would rather have died than say ‘I’m gay,'” he said. “And I think that was sort of my wake-up call.”
He also spoke about how being cast on The Bachelor had deepened his denial. “I literally remember praying to God the morning I found out that I was the Bachelor and thanking Him for making me straight,” he recalled. “Finally, you’re letting me be straight. Finally, you’re giving me a wife.”
Which makes that 2019 clip land completely differently when you know the full story.
This wasn’t a funny moment. It was a man being confronted with his deepest secret on camera, surrounded by women he was supposedly there to date – and having to play along.
The Private DM Nobody Knew About
The moment Colton’s GMA interview aired, that 2019 Bachelor clip came roaring back. It spread everywhere. And suddenly Billy wasn’t just a comedian who’d made a joke – he was the guy who had accidentally called a closeted man’s sexuality on national television.
Publicly, Billy was supportive. He tweeted: “I’m happy for @colton. If you’re gay, be gay! I’ve been gay forever & I love it!” Colton responded on Billy’s post of the resurfaced clip: “Love you. Love this (now) and now I love being gay.”
But what nobody knew until this week is that Billy also went directly to Colton, privately.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of Watch What Happens Live, Billy told host Andy Cohen the full story for the first time – including the exact DM he sent Colton when the clip resurfaced.
“I actually DMed him,” Billy said. “I said, ‘Hey, I’m sorry I put you on the spot like that. I had no idea you were gay. If I thought you were, I wouldn’t have asked you about that on national television.'”
He didn’t have to do that. The public tweet was enough. But Billy went further – he acknowledged, privately and directly, the weight of what that joke must have felt like for a man who’d spent years hiding.
“He was super cool with it,” Billy said.
Where Colton Is Now
The man who once prayed to be straight is living the life he was terrified of wanting.
After coming out, Colton documented his journey in the 2021 Netflix docuseries Coming Out Colton, which covered everything from coming out to his family to confronting the toxic sports-world homophobia that had shaped so much of his self-image.
He later got engaged to political strategist Jordan C. Brown, and the couple married in May 2023. They welcomed a son, Bishop, in September 2024.
And as for the man who accidentally called it six years ago? They’re good.
“We’ve spoken a lot. I run into Colton once in a while,” Billy said. “We see each other sometimes. He’s lovely and nice to see.”
From a closeted Bachelor faking his way through a dating show, to a married gay dad who responds to the man who outed him with “Love you – now I love being gay.”
That’s one hell of a glow-up.