Michael Rapaport has always been known for speaking his mind. This week on The Traitors, that habit landed him in serious trouble. What should have been just another tense roundtable turned into one of the most uncomfortable moments of the season.
The drama unfolded during Episode 5 when Colton Underwood accused Michael of being a Traitor. Instead of brushing it off, Michael fired back. While pointing at Colton, he said that no one in the room would be better at keeping a secret than him. The comment immediately changed the mood in the castle.
Many people in the room took it as a reference to Colton’s past. Colton had appeared on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette and dated women before coming out as gay in 2021. Hearing Michael’s words, Colton didn’t stay quiet. He responded by asking if Michael really thought hiding a huge part of his life for years was something enjoyable.
At that point, Michael tried to step back. He quickly said he was not talking about Colton’s sexuality and that he only meant Colton seemed excited about playing a Traitor. But the moment had already gone too far. The tension at the table was hard to miss.
Other contestants jumped in almost right away. Johnny Weir spoke up and said it was unfair to judge someone for being forced to hide who they are. Maura Higgins and Yam Yam Arocho both called the comment a very low blow. Even though Michael kept saying it was not intentional, the room was no longer on his side.
Things got even more awkward when Rob Rausch corrected Michael for using the word “commiserating” incorrectly. It was a small moment, but it added to the feeling that everything was unraveling for him.
Natalie Anderson, who has seen intense situations on reality TV before, finally had enough. She told the group that Michael’s words toward Colton were reason enough to vote him out. When the votes were read, it was clear the group had made up their minds. Michael was banished with 11 votes against him.
Colton was direct when casting his vote. He said Michael made him uncomfortable and that he did not want him in the castle. Johnny Weir was even more blunt. He said he did not care whether Michael was a Traitor or a Faithful. He simply wanted him gone.
The whole scene reminded many viewers of past reality TV moments where personal identity became part of the gameplay in a bad way. Michael insisted that was never his intention, but the damage was already done.
After leaving the game, Michael sounded regretful. He admitted he felt cornered and tried too hard to fight his way out. He apologized to Colton and anyone else who felt hurt, saying he never meant to offend anyone and that he pushed things too far in the heat of the moment.
New episodes of The Traitors air every Thursday on Peacock.
