Michael Rapaport slammed for Colton Underwood sexuality comment in The Traitors: ‘Very low blow’
Michael Rapaport and Colton Underwood clashed on The Traitors US. (Bobby Bank/Amy Sussman/Getty)
Michael Rapaport and Colton Underwood clashed on The Traitors US. (Bobby Bank/Amy Sussman/Getty)
On The Traitors US, Michael Rapaport’s insinuation that gay TV star Colton Underwood‘s sexuality meant he could “hold a secret”, did not go down well.
The extremely tense roundtable played out in the fifth episode, titled ‘If You’re Gonna Come for Me, I’ll Finish You,’ which aired on Thursday (15 January).
Everything kicked off when Calton Underwood, a 33-year-old TV personality and former professional football player, called out Rapaport, a 55-year-old comedian and actor, for rallying against him during the day.
Then, Rapaport’s aggressive gameplay amped up and he took a swing at Underwood’s personal life, sparking homophobia accusations.
Calton Underwood came out publicly as gay two years after appearing on The Bachelor dating show in 2019. He married political strategist Jordan C. Brown. The pair welcomed their first child in September 2024.
On The Traitors, Rapaport targeted Underwood as he explosively addressed him: “This man is responsible for chirping in everybody’s ear. And this man-after the challenge today-was openly in my face questioning me, and then when I walked away, he said my name out loud to a group of people.
“[He was] holding court, and this man should be keeping his mouth shut. Because last night, this man organized and colluded to get rid of a good Faithful.
“I’m angry, I’m pissed off, and I’m isolated because of him,” Rapaport continued. “Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you.”
That last comment plunged the room into silence.
“There it is,” Colton responded calmly. “You think it was fun for 29 years of my life?… You said because I held a secret for 29 years…”
Rapaport jumped back in to seemingly defend himself, stating it was not his intention to make that connection.
‘Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you.’
“You insinuated it,” Colton shot back.
The other Traitors players jumped in to defend Colton. Olympian Johnny Weir addressed Rapaport:
Queer Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir told Rapaport: “You can’t blame someone for being forced into a closet for the majority of their life.”
Love Island‘s Maura Higgins then told Rapaport his remark was a “very low blow.”
Viewers seemed to have similar reactions to those inside the room.
“Michael Rappaport wanted to use Colton Underwood being in the closet as ammunition to banish him,” one viewer posted online.
They also concluded: “This dude has NO MORALS.”
Another shared: “Michael saying Colton would be a good traitor because he’s good at keeping secrets… ”
The post was accompanied by a gif of Heated Rivalry’s Hudson Williams looking deeply confused.
SPOILERS! After his roundtable outburst, Rapaport was ousted.
Following his exit, he took to social media to apologise for his comments.
“I played a hard game, I played a real game & 1 had a fun time,” he wrote on Instagram. “Never wanted to offend anyone watching or the cast, Sincerely, The Dopest Smartest Realest & Best Looking to ever walk in that castle.”
“It sucks but I felt backed into a corner and I tried to fight my way out of it. 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 sincerely 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 for when it went a little too far which sucks.”
