Michael Rapaport from “Traitors” Calls Out Colton Underwood’s Struggles with Sexuality
Michael Rapaport faced significant backlash after addressing Colton Underwood’s challenges with his sexuality on The Traitors.
In the Thursday, January 15, episode of the popular Peacock series, Colton, 33, mentioned his personal experiences while reflecting on his time on The Bachelor.
“I’ve cried too much on TV, I can’t handle it anymore,” he remembered. “I was a total mess.”
Dorinda followed up with questions, asking, “You went on The Bachelor and were gay? I didn’t realize you went on a major show as a heterosexual. Wow, I must have missed that.”
Colton joked that Dorinda “dodged a bullet” by not being part of that phase of his life.
“Welcome to the party, Dorinda,” he responded. “Back then, I was convinced I was straight.”
The former professional football player’s romantic life came up again later in the episode. After Michael, 55, heard Colton hinting that he might be a Traitor, he tried to shift the focus back onto Colton.
“This man is responsible for whispering in everyone’s ears. After the challenge today, he confronted me, and when I walked away, he said my name to a group,” Michael claimed. “[He was] controlling the conversation when he should be quiet. Last night he conspired to eliminate a good Faithful.”
Michael made it clear that he was “angry, upset, and isolated,” which he associated with Colton, adding, “Nobody in this room can hold a secret better than you.” This comment changed the atmosphere as Colton quickly responded.
“Was it fun for 29 years of my life?” Colton asked, while Michael insisted that his comments were unrelated to Colton coming out as gay later in life, stating, “That has nothing to do with it. I believe you came into this game eager to be a Traitor.”
However, the impact of Michael’s words was clear, and most of the group turned against him. After some suggested writing Colton’s name down as a Traitor, many shifted their focus to Michael due to his remarks.
“You can’t criticize someone for being forced into a closet for most of their lives,” Johnny Weir remarked. “That’s how we interpreted it.”
Candiace Dillard Bassett advised Michael to “clarify” his intentions if he wasn’t mocking Colton for being “in the closet” previously.
“His behavior is typical of a Traitor. It’s secretive, sneaky, and conniving,” Michael shot back before being told again that he was “wrong,” even if his words were misunderstood.
Michael continued: “Interpret it however you want. This is a Traitor. You’re a Traitor — a sneaky and colluding Traitor.”
At this point, Rob Rausch intervened to correct Michael’s usage of the term commiseration. Shortly after, Alan Cumming prompted everyone to cast their votes, resulting in Michael being chosen by a majority. As votes were cast, it became clear that it was more about Michael’s behavior than his status as a Traitor or a Faithful.
“You’ve been quite fortunate to make it this far,” Colton told Michael before he left. Others, including Natalie Anderson, supported Colton, stating, “There are things that don’t even matter. You’ve been on my list since day one, and I’ve been clear about it. However, the way you spoke to Colton today is enough for me to write your name.”
Eric Nam also chimed in with his perspective.
“If you’re a Faithful, you’re the most distracting Faithful. If you’re a Traitor, you’re playing a great game by throwing things out there and making us argue among ourselves, wasting precious time,” he pointed out.
Before his elimination, Michael took to social media to justify his approach.
“I’m excited to watch it. I’m a big fan of the show,” he said in an Instagram video earlier this month. “Typically, my wife and I sit down for the premiere with some pasta and ice cream. I’m not sure how we’ll handle it now that I’m on it.”
The Traitors is currently streaming on Peacock with new episodes available Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.
