- - Controversial comment by Michael Rapaport erupts on “The Traitors”

Dalton RossJanuary 16, 2026 at 6:00 AM

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Michael Rapaport on 'The Traitors' season 4

Warning: This article contains spoilers about episodes 4 and 5 on season 4 of The Traitors.

Michael Rapaport is a controversial and polarizing figure, and he brought even more controversy with him into the castle on this week’s episodes of The Traitors when he appeared to imply that fellow contestant Colton Underwood was best prepared to lie and deceive as a Traitor because he hid being gay for so long.

The incident occurred during the episode 5 Roundtable. Knowing Colton was accusing him of being a Traitor, Michael fired back.

“Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you,” Michael said while pointing across the table at his foe.

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

Michael Rapaport on 'The Traitors' season 4

The comment appeared to be drawing attention to the fact that Colton starred on and dated women on both The Bachelorette and The Bachelor before later coming out as gay in 2021 after the reality star said he was being blackmailed by an individual who had threatened to release a photo of him.

“There it is,” Colton responded to Michael’s insult. “You think it was fun for 29 years of my life?”

Michael immediately tried to distance himself from the insinuation: “Oh no, no, no, no, no — that has nothing to do with it. I think you came into this game loving the idea of being a Traitor.”

But the damage was already done and the blowback from his fellow castmates was swift.

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

Colton Underwood on 'The Traitors' season 4

“You can’t blame somebody being forced into a closet for the majority of their life,” Johnny Weir commented, with Maura Higgins and Yam Yam Arocho labeling it a “very low blow,” even as Michael insisted that, “It wasn’t intended to be.” (To make matters worse, Rob Rausch also had to inform Michael he was repeatedly using the word commiserating incorrectly and that “Commiseration means to feel sorry for someone.”)

Even Natalie Anderson, who lived through the John Rocker experience on Survivor: San Juan del Sur, had seen and had enough, telling Michael, “Today, the way you spoke to Colton, for me, it’s enough to write your name down. So I think we should just get together and vote him out of here.”

And that is exactly what the group did, banishing him with 11 out of 16 votes (with Ron Funches collecting the other five.)

“You don’t make me feel good,” said Colton while casting his vote. “I don’t want you in the castle.”

Meanwhile, Johnny made it abundantly clear he did not care if he was voting out a Traitor or Faithful. “I don’t give a s--- what you are,” the Olympian told Michael. “I just want you out of my castle.”

Euan Cherry/Peacock

Lisa Rinna, Colton Underwood, Eric Nam, Monét X Change, and Candiace Dillard Bassett on 'The Traitors' season 4

The incident mirrored a similar one that occurred back in 2017 on a shocking episode of Survivor: Game Changers when contestant Jeff Varner publicly outed fellow player Zeke Smith as being transgender, claiming the fact that Zeke did not inform his tribemates proved he was a liar.

“There is deception here,” Jeff told the tribe then. “Deception that is on levels that these guys don’t even understand. There’s more.” He then turned to Zeke: “Why haven’t you told anyone you are transgender?”

The contestant then attempted to brush aside the immediate criticism from others by claiming, “What I am showing is a deception.”

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Unlike Jeff on Survivor, Michael claimed he was not trying to draw a connection to Colton’s coming out and his play in the game, but his Traitors castmates did not seem to believe him.

After being banished, the ousted player sounded somewhat contrite in his final words to camera. “It sucks, but I felt backed into a corner and I tried to fight my way out of it,” he explained. “Maybe I fought too hard. I meant what I meant within the context of the game. It had nothing to do with his sexuality. I really, seriously apologize if I offended Colton or anybody in the house. That absolutely wasn’t my intention. I’m a fan of the game. I played hard. And I played a good game, except when it went a little too far, which sucks."

There was nobody there to commiserate with him at the time.

New episodes of The Traitors drop every Thursday on Peacock.

on Entertainment Weekly

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