Colton Underwood Talks Mental Health, Ex Cassie Randolph, and Thoughts on ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise With Reality Steve

In a newly released podcast, Colton Underwood joined Reality Steve in a tell-all interview and disclosed details about his former ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph and his mental health during his time on The Bachelor.

Former Bachelor star, Colton Underwood, admitted he was “struggling hard” during season 23 and was being treated for depression and anxiety as a result of the show. Colton transparently stated, “I didn’t know how to handle it.” After acknowledging that he wishes he could turn back time and redo certain occurrences that took place, he was uncomfortable with the fact people developed opinions of him.

His mental health later caused him social anxiety after specific situations in public transpired. He recalled an incident at a charity event he attended when a female reportedly groped him. He later added yet another experience while on vacation in Las Vegas where women were excessively flattering him.

“I just remember feeling so powerless and like such a piece of meat. That for me was a big turning point in my mental health, of like, ‘Wow, I have no clue what I’m in for right now.’ And it got pretty bad. It got dark,” Colton said.

In the same interview, Colton revealed his thoughts overall on The Bachelor franchise and mentioned he has “distanced” himself from the series. “There have just been too many things that I’ve found out about, and that has happened, for me to feel comfortable working with them again on a professional level, not even personal,” he expressed. Colton noted during the ‘Greatest Seasons Ever’ special, his ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph was taken advantage of by producers. He disliked the questions she was asked regarding their breakup, but felt Cassie handled the situation professionally.

“I get very defensive over people I love, and I know Cass is a big girl and she could fight her own battles. But I just know her heart and she doesn’t want to rock the boat. And she loves people even if they abuse her, or even if they take advantage of her, which is what they did,” Colton said.

Despite his struggle in the spotlight, Colton published a tell-all memoir, ‘The First Time: Finding Myself and Looking for Love on Reality TV, which describes his behind-the-scenes experience and how he found himself and love throughout his drama-filled journey.

You can listen to the full interview with Colton and Reality Steve, here.