Daytime talk show host Wendy Williams took to Twitter Tuesday to share some juicy news with her 1.57 million followers: “Bachelorette” contestant Cole Underwood is a virgin.
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“We learned some surprising baggage a contestant on #Bachelorette has… he’s a virgin!” Williams wrote, referring to 26-year-old Underwood.
We learned some surprising baggage a contestant on #Bachelorette has… he’s a virgin! https://t.co/6bRv0nHRjT pic.twitter.com/0SXW8350IG
— Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) July 10, 2018
Shortly after tweeting the news, Williams posted a poll, asking her fans if they would “get engaged to a guy who was a virgin.”
Would you get engaged to a guy who was a virgin?
— Wendy Williams (@WendyWilliams) July 10, 2018
The entertainment talk show host’s apparent fascination with Underwood’s virginity drew the attention of Christian journalist Baylor Cook, who took issue with Williams’ comments, and responded with a tweet of his own:
Virginity isn’t baggage.
This narrative is disgusting, because basically what’s being insinuated is, if you don’t have sex regularly something is wrong with you.
And that couldn’t be farther from the truth. https://t.co/2O4XY7Ynwm
— Baylor Cook (@j_baylorcook) July 11, 2018
“Virginity isn’t baggage,” Cook wrote. “This narrative is disgusting, because basically what’s being insinuated is, if you don’t have sex regularly something is wrong with you. And that couldn’t be farther from the truth.”
Cook wasn’t alone in his sentiments. Many Twitter users responded to Williams’ tweet with their own thoughts on how society treats virginity.
“You need to read the bible and get to know the word of God. Virginity is beautiful,” wrote one user.
“Used to be that having a lot of sex partners was considered baggage,” another noted. “Now virginity is baggage.”
Many others praised Underwood for abstaining from hookup culture:
“Baggage? It’s really sad that it’s just normal now…. it’s rare to find a virgin and I have so much respect for @Colt3FIVE !” one woman wrote.
“Omg baggage??? Good for him!” another wrote. “Wanting to wait for the right one is awesome and rare these days!”
Williams definitely struck a chord with her comments, but the responses were overwhelmingly opposed to her assumptions about virginity.