Less than a year after sharing his true self with fans, Colton Underwood is celebrating another personal milestone.
The former “Bachelor” star announced Monday that he and boyfriend Jordan C. Brown are engaged to be married. The proposal, he said, took place shortly after his 30th birthday (Jan. 26) as the couple were vacationing in Big Sur, California.
“I’m extremely happy! 2021 was the most transformative year of my life,” Underwood told People. “Starting 2022 off with my best friend, teammate and now fiancé is something I never thought was going to be possible.”
Later on Monday, Underwood shared a sweet snapshot of the pair on his social media accounts.
“Life is going to be fun with you,” he wrote.
Brown, a Los Angeles-based political strategist who worked on former President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns, echoed those sentiments on Instagram.
“The only time in my life I’m OK with wasting a bottle of champagne,” he wrote alongside a photo of the two men preparing to toast their engagement. “I love you babe.”
Underwood came out as gay in a “Good Morning America” interview that aired last April.
“I’ve ran from myself for a long time,” he told host Robin Roberts at the time. “I’ve hated myself for a long time. And I’m gay. I came to terms with that earlier this year and have been processing it, and the next step in all of this was sort of letting people know.”
His announcement, however, was not without controversy. Hours after the “Good Morning America” interview aired, Netflix announced plans for “Coming Out Colton,” a six-episode series that would document Underwood’s journey to living authentically as a gay man.
The show, which premiered in December, drew backlash from many in the LGBTQ community, some of whom accused Underwood of “monetizing” the coming out experience. Others blasted Netflix’s decision to seemingly glorify Underwood, who in 2020 was accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend, “Bachelor” contestant Cassie Randolph, and was hit with a restraining order.
After months of speculation, Underwood confirmed to People in December that he and Brown were dating. “I found somebody and I am very much in love,” he said, just weeks after the pair walked the red carpet together at the 2021 Baby2Baby Gala in Los Angeles. Earlier this month, he acknowledged his journey toward self-acceptance while gushing about his beau in honor of Valentine’s Day.
“This Valentine’s Day is a special one,” he wrote on Instagram. “I get to love who I want and I love loving on you.”