Colton Underwood says he decided to come out gay after blackmail threat

In a new interview with Variety, Colton Underwood explains that he came out after someone threatened to out him to the media.

The former The Bachelor star came out last month, telling Good Morning America's Robin Roberts that he's finished "hating" himself.

At the time, he said that "suicidal thoughts" led him to "take back control" of his life. In this new interview, Underwood reiterated that he attempted suicide but added that was also being blackmailed following a visit to a "spa."

Underwood, 29, told Variety that the blackmail attempt came after he "secretly visited a spa [in Los Angeles] known for catering to gay clientele."

"I, at one point, during my rock bottom and spiral, was getting blackmailed," he said. "Nobody knows I was blackmailed."

"Shortly thereafter, he received an anonymous email, which has been reviewed by Variety, from someone claiming to have taken his nude photos at the venue," Variety reported. The person threatened to out him in the press.

In a panic, Underwood, who said he was at the spa "just to look," forwarded the email to his publicist, which led to him finally having an honest conversation with his publicist about his sexuality.

Underwood also revealed that he "hooked up" with men before he appeared on The Bachelor, where he was described as "the Virgin Bachelor."

"I was 'the Virgin Bachelor,' but I did experiment with men prior to being on The Bachelorette," he said.

He added: "I want to make that very clear that I did not have sex with a man, prior to that."

Underwood also revealed that his father caught him looking at gay porn in the eighth grade.

"I just said that I was curious and I was exploring and just looking," he said. "I remember having that conversation with him and being like, 'Just don't tell mom.'"