In a horrifying escalation that’s left Bachelor Nation and reality TV fans reeling, Colton Underwood — the hunky former football star turned gay icon — has blown the lid off a barrage of vile death threats that have flooded his inbox since his cutthroat stint on The Traitors Season 4. “I was told to put a g*n up my @ss and pull the trigger,” the 34-year-old heartthrob confessed in a bombshell interview, his voice trembling as he detailed messages laced with homophobic slurs, his home address doxxed for all to see, and sinister nods to his doting husband Jordan C. Brown and their precious baby boy. “If you don’t like my gameplay, fine. But this? This isn’t OK,” Underwood fired back, his words a raw plea amid a storm that’s reopened old wounds from his scandal-plagued Bachelor days and sparked a fierce divide among viewers: Are these threats the ugly underbelly of toxic fandom, or does his controversial past justify the hate?

What began as playful parlor games in a misty Scottish castle has morphed into a full-blown safety crisis for Underwood, who’s no stranger to the spotlight’s dark side. The former NFL hopeful, who leaped to fame as the virgin Bachelor in 2019 before coming out as gay in 2021, thought he’d left the drama behind with his fairytale marriage and fatherhood journey. But oh, how wrong he was. As The Traitors’ fourth season unfolds on Peacock — a smash hit blending deception, alliances, and celebrity egos — Underwood’s aggressive Faithful gameplay has ignited a backlash so vicious it’s drawn pleas from co-stars like Lisa Rinna and even an official cyberbullying statement from the show itself. “This went too far,” Underwood lamented, echoing the sentiments of a nation horrified by how “fandom” has devolved into real-world terror. Insiders whisper that Underwood, once celebrated for his fence-jumping romance, now fears for his family’s life — all because he dared to play hard in a game of lies.

Let’s dive into the castle intrigue that sparked this firestorm. Filmed in the eerie Highlands of Scotland last June, The Traitors pits a star-studded cast — think Real Housewives divas, NFL legends like Donna Kelce, and Drag Race royalty — in a battle of wits where secret “Traitors” “murder” “Faithfuls” by night, and paranoia reigns by day. Underwood, entering as a Faithful, quickly emerged as a ringleader, orchestrating banishments with the precision of a gridiron quarterback. He took down power players like Lisa Rinna and even NFL mom Donna Kelce, earning cheers from some for his strategy but boos from others who branded him “arrogant” and “bullying.” A heated roundtable clash with comedian Michael Rapaport — where Underwood accused him of being a Traitor — ended with Rapaport’s snide dig: “Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you,” a veiled jab at Underwood’s closeted past that left jaws on the floor.

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Colton Underwood on ‘The Traitors,’ The Bachelor, and Online Hate

But the on-screen fireworks paled compared to the off-screen explosion. As episodes dropped starting January 8, 2026, social media erupted. X (formerly Twitter) threads dissected Underwood’s every move, with users dredging up his 2020 scandal: The restraining order filed by ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph, who accused him of stalking after their Bachelor breakup — planting a tracking device on her car, bombarding her with texts, and lurking outside her home. Though Randolph dropped the order months later, the allegations stuck like glue, fueling petitions to boycott his Netflix docuseries Coming Out Colton and now resurfacing with a vengeance. “How is Peacock platforming a stalker?” one viral tweet raged, garnering thousands of likes. Another: “Colton’s past isn’t ‘drama’ — it’s dangerous. Threats? He deserves scrutiny.”

Yet, as the hate snowballed, it crossed into criminal territory. Underwood, speaking exclusively to Variety, laid bare the terror: “An example of a message that I had to send to Peacock is after the Michael Rapaport comment, somebody told me to stick a gun up my ass and pull the trigger and called me the F word in it.” The threats didn’t stop at him — they targeted his husband Jordan, a 41-year-old political strategist, and their one-year-old son, born via surrogate in May 2025. “I’ve had to deal with death threats, and I’ve had to deal with people having my address and writing emails and DMs about my son and my husband, and that’s really hard,” he told Rolling Stone, his eyes welling up in the interview. Insiders reveal Underwood has beefed up security at their Los Angeles home, installing cameras and hiring guards after doxxing exposed their address. “He’s terrified for his family,” a close friend spilled to us. “Jordan’s been a rock, but no one signs up for this.”

Underwood’s journey to this point has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows that could fill a soap opera script. Born in Indianapolis in 1992, the strapping athlete played college football at Illinois State before brief NFL stints with the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders — dreams dashed by injuries. Fame beckoned in 2018 when he appeared on Becca Kufrin’s Bachelorette season, charming viewers with his boy-next-door vibe and infamous virginity confession. That led to his own Bachelor gig in 2019, where he infamously jumped a fence in Portugal after Cassie Randolph quit, declaring his love in a dramatic pursuit that ended with them dating — no proposal, just passion.

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But paradise cracked in 2020 amid the pandemic. The couple split amicably at first, but Randolph soon filed for a restraining order, alleging Underwood harassed her with anonymous texts, showed up uninvited at her Huntington Beach apartment at 2am, and attached a tracker to her car. Underwood denied the claims but agreed to the order, which was dropped after private resolution. “The context that is lacking is the pressure, the threats, and the blackmail I was dealing with at the time,” he later reflected in interviews, hinting at mental health struggles. Then, in April 2021, he came out as gay on Good Morning America, a bombshell that redefined his narrative and led to his Netflix series.

Fast-forward to bliss: Underwood met Jordan C. Brown in early 2021 at a party, sparks flying despite Brown’s initial hesitation over the reality star’s baggage. “I was scared,” Brown admitted in a joint interview. But love won — they got engaged in February 2022, married in a lavish Napa Valley ceremony in May 2023, and welcomed their son via surrogate in 2025. “Fatherhood changed everything,” Underwood gushed on his podcast Daddyhood. Jordan, a Democratic strategist who’s worked with big names like Barack Obama, brings stability to Underwood’s whirlwind life. Photos of the couple — Underwood’s chiseled jawline beaming next to Brown’s silver-fox charm — scream #CoupleGoals.

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Colton Underwood and Jordan C. Brown’s Relationship Timeline

Yet, The Traitors thrust him back into the fray. Cast alongside icons like RuPaul’s Drag Race stars and Housewives vets, Underwood’s strategy — forming tight alliances with Rob Rausch and others, calling out suspects with unyielding confidence — made him a villain in viewers’ eyes. “You did play quite an aggressive game,” Rolling Stone pressed, to which he replied: “I was prepared to play a game of deception and treachery.” But the backlash surprised even him. “Many posts about his past are untrue and or lacking context,” he told USA Today, addressing the Randolph saga head-on. Co-star Lisa Rinna, after a fiery on-show feud where she called him a “stalker” in a cryptic post (later clarified as gameplay banter), backtracked on Instagram: “Don’t send death threats or do anything to jeopardize somebody’s family.”

The show itself stepped in with a rare statement: “We appreciate your support,” it read, condemning cyberbullying after Rob Rausch revealed his autism amid hate. Fans are split like never before. On Reddit’s r/thebachelor, threads rage: “Colton addresses the backlash from fans of Traitors,” one post noted, with comments ranging from “He’s never taken accountability” to “Threats are never OK.” X users echo the divide: “Colton Underwood defends Traitors strategy and reveals death threats,” Variety tweeted, sparking replies like “RealityTV gone wrong.” One post quipped: “Notice how he’s never taken accountability for this? Anyway, who’s watching Traitors?”

Experts chime in on the fandom frenzy. Psychologist Dr. Pamela Rutledge told us: “Reality TV blurs lines — viewers feel entitled to judge, but threats cross into criminality. Colton’s past amplifies it, but no one deserves this.” Cyberbullying activist Monica Lewinsky, no stranger to public shaming, tweeted support: “Hate online has real consequences. Stand with Colton.” Underwood himself remains defiant yet reflective. On his podcast, he opened up: “I’ve been through a lot — coming out, the stalking allegations, now this. But my family is my world.” Jordan, ever the supportive spouse, posted a family snap on Instagram: “Through it all, love wins.”

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As The Traitors barrels toward its finale — with Underwood “murdered” in Episode 7 by ally-turned-Traitor Rob Rausch — the real drama plays out online. Peacock insiders hint at increased security for cast reunions, while Underwood focuses on healing. “I focus on the positive,” he told Variety, but admitted: “It’s hard.” His story echoes other stars like Britney Spears or Justin Bieber, victims of fan obsession turned toxic.

In a poignant twist, Underwood’s journey from closeted Bachelor to proud dad underscores growth amid adversity. But as threats linger, one question haunts: Has “fandom” gone fatally far? For Colton, Jordan, and their son, the game is no longer fun — it’s survival.

This scandal revives debates on reality TV’s toll. “Peacock should vet better,” one critic sniped, referencing the casting outrage. Yet Underwood stands tall: “I’m not defined by my past.” As fans dissect every episode, remember: Behind the screen are real lives. Threats? Not OK — ever.