Michael Rapaport Labaled ‘Homophobic’ After Colton Underwood Comment

Michael Rapaport’s shot at Colton Underwood during “The Traitors” roundtable didn’t just land improper, but it surely detonated all the vote. During Thursday’s episode, Rapaport went after the previous “Bachelor” lead while arguing that Underwood ought to be suspected as a Traitor, dragging Underwood’s real-life history into the sport in a way that immediately shifted the room. Rapaport claimed Underwood, who got here out as gay in April 2021, had an edge at deception because “no one on this room could be higher at holding a secret than you.” Colton Underwood didn’t let it slide.

“There it’s. You think that it was fun for 29 years of my life?” he snapped back, as Rapaport quickly tried to backpedal, insisting his comment had “nothing to do with it.” But Rapaport doubled down on his suspicion, adding, “I believe you got here into this game loving the concept of being a Traitor.”

If Rapaport thought he was making a strategic point, the group clearly didn’t receive it that way. While there had been chatter about voting Underwood out, Rapaport’s remark flipped the momentum, and suddenly, his name was the one getting written down.

Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, who’s openly gay, called out the implication head-on, “You possibly can’t blame someone for being forced right into a closet for the vast majority of their lives,” Weir said. “That’s what we took it as.” Candiace Dillard Bassett also jumped in and asked Rapaport to “make clear” what he meant if he wasn’t attempting to mock Underwood’s experience.

Rapaport, nonetheless, leaned into his argument as a substitute of walking it back, claiming, “His behavior is of a Traitor. His behavior is secretive. It’s conniving, it’s chirping, it’s commiserating. It’s cowardly.” And when the group pushed back, telling him he was “improper” no matter his intentions, Rapaport fired off one other harsh jab, “Take it nonetheless you would like. It is a Traitor. You’re a Traitor, a commiserating and colluding Traitor.”

By the point the votes were tallied, Rapaport had sealed his own fate. He received essentially the most votes and was banished, and it wasn’t subtle why. Although the sport is built around Faithfuls detecting Traitors, multiple players made it clear their votes reflected how Rapaport handled the moment.

Even “Survivor” alum Natalie Anderson, who had been friendly with Rapaport in the sport, said his “holding a secret” statement was enough to alter her vote. “For me, there are some things that it doesn’t even matter. … Today, the best way you spoke to Colton, for me, it’s enough to put in writing your name,” she said.

After his banishment, Rapaport attempted to make clear the intent behind his comment, saying, “I meant what I meant inside the context of the sport. It had nothing to do along with his sexuality. I actually sincerely apologize if I offended Colton or anybody in the home. That absolutely wasn’t the intention.”

He later doubled down on that explanation in an announcement to TMZ on Friday, saying, “I did speak to [Underwood] right after filming. We had an important man-to-man conversation, and every little thing was very cool and respectful. I like him and want him and his family one of the best.”

Online, viewers lit up Rapaport for the exchange and for his overall energy on the roundtable, with reactions pouring in on X.

One person wrote, “Why are you usually yelling?” Others were far less forgiving, with comments including: “You’re a f-cking piece of sh-t,” and “You f-cking homophobic a-shole”

Not everyone saw it the identical way, though. One viewer defended Rapaport’s point as purely gameplay, writing, “I believe Rapaport’s a dope, and even I knew what he meant. It wasn’t about closets, it was concerning the game. Stop attempting to find victim points in other people’s words.”

Underwood, meanwhile, has been open about how difficult it was to live within the closet, and why finally saying it out loud felt like survival.

He got here out on “Good Morning America” nearly five years ago, telling Robin Roberts, “I’ve ran from myself for a very long time,” adding, “I’ve hated myself for a very long time. I got here to terms with that earlier this 12 months and have been processing it, and the following step in all of this was type of letting people know.”

“The Traitors” is currently streaming on Peacock.