When Colton Underwood announced that he is gay yesterday in a Good Morning America interview, the first person I thought of was his ex, Cassie Randolph. Last fall, Cassie filed for an emergency restraining order against Underwood after he put a tracking device on her car, stood outside her apartment building at 2 am, sent her threatening and harassing texts and harassed her parents. Cassie received a temporary restraining order against Underwood and at some point – a few months later – the order was lifted and we haven’t heard anything else about whether he was still stalking her. I bring all of this up because few outlets are really getting into it, because attractive white men who come out of the closet get to have their pasts whitewashed even if they terrorized women. Those men even get a Netflix docu-series. Well, Us Weekly has an exclusive about what’s going on with Cassie this week:
Cassie Randolph is “still processing” her ex-boyfriend Colton Underwood coming out as gay on Wednesday, April 14, a source exclusively tells Us Weekly.
“She was not made aware in advance that he was going to be on GMA doing a tell-all,” the insider says. “To be honest, she hasn’t really had time to navigate how she feels about it yet.”
“Post-breakup was an emotional journey for her and it was painful at times,” the insider tells Us. “She has taken a lot of steps to move on in life and has been focused on her well-being and her happiness. She has not been in communication with Colton.”
If this is an authorized story from her camp, I’m glad that Cassie doesn’t feel the need to pretend that Underwood’s emotional abuse and campaign of harassment didn’t happen, or that everything is water under the bridge. He was still acting like a total psycho towards her for MONTHS after their breakup. I have a feeling that she got a good look at his real vibe and that’s why they broke up in the first place. I also think this whole GMA/ABC-sanctioned whitewashing of Underwood is a terrible look for them, as a corporation. Men don’t get to hurt and terrorize women and pass it off as their journey to self-acceptance.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
I have never known being closeted to make someone a possessive, psycho stalker who puts tracking devices on their exes cars.
So in a few years, i am guessing we’ll hear from an ex boyfriend who has filed a restraining order.
Yikes.
I don’t see why you’re referring to him as attractive but yeah this is gross.
He is so, so, so unattractive and apparently he’s a right wing bum who follows Candace Owens.
Can confirm – he DOES follow Candace Owens. BARF.
NOPE.
How traumatizing for Cassie!! This is an egregious error on Netflix/ABCs part. I’m horrified on her behalf.
“Men don’t get to hurt and terrorize women and pass it off as their journey to self-acceptance.”
Yup. That’s all there is.
+1
$5 says he actively blamed her for not “curing” his gayness.
Yep. Or as a journey to sobriety or good mental health. Or as a response to being surrounded by temptation, distraction, or arousal. Or just needing to adjust to a new decade. All of those ‘reasons’ are handed out like candy when it comes to how men treat women.
I am angry for Cassie.
You can’t tell me not one of those producers and showrunners didn’t pick up on something or just flat out know about that douchebag. You cannot tell me otherwise.
I agree that the producers/Netflix should have let Cassie know what was in the works – especially given her abusive past with Colton. That was wrong and insensitive. However, I’d give Colton a chance to redeem himself. Denying your sexuality must be extremely difficult and confusing, so I have some compassion for him. No amount of money can help with that. This does not mean I excuse his behavior towards Cassie. It just means maybe his story might help others struggling with their sexuality.
You don’t need to be handed a starring role in your own reality series for a chance to redeem yourself. Not sure how that would be “redeeming” as it doesn’t do anything for the person he hurt, just for himself and his own goal to be famous.
There are countless members of the LGBT community who aren’t abusers and deserve a reality show where they could “help others struggle with their sexuality.” Doesn’t have to be this asshole.
I mean, this isn’t up for a public vote or anything. Cassie doesn’t t owe him her forgiveness just because he’s gay. If he wants to discuss his hatred of himself and how that made him behave, that’s what a therapist is for (and I’m being totally serious). He doesn’t need a tv show, and shame on Netflix and ABC for giving him a platform.
You can be gay and still be an asshole. Just like you can be straight and still be an asshole. They come in all sexual orientations.
If this is true that’s crazy to me that they didnt warn her. She is literally an alumni of one of their network’s shows but they didn’t give her a head’s up about this? When i watched the interview I did empathize with Colton because i felt like way he talked about his self loathing at being gay and being brought up in such a conservative environment rang true to me as a closeted person in a very religious family myselr and i do think that there could be some good in telling that story in an interview like that but that doesn’t excuse his behavior and i don’t think he should be rewarded with a Netflix show especially so soon after his terrorizing of Cassie happened. Hating yourself is not excuse to abuse other people nor is it just a simple mistake and the apparent lack of care on ABCs part for how this would affect Cassie is extremely upsetting.
I also think if ABC knew about this deal, which i find it hard to believe they didnt, they shouldve exercised more discretion in how this interview was framed or not done it all. But with all the controversies surrounding the Bachelor as of late they were probably just trying to cover their own asses by letting him use GMA as a relaunch. Bad looks all around.
Imagine having a restraining order on your ex, who then proceeds to announce that he’s gay and that he has a new Netflix show…and that people want him to be the first gay bachelor? Gays deserve better representation than this stalker. He needs therapy, not a reality show.
Agreed!!! Disappointed in Netflix, network tv, and Gus Kenworthy for giving his toxic ass any visibility right now. So many better people to be the first LGBTQ Bachelor(ette) or have a Netflix show.