Michael Rapaport called homophobic after Colton Underwood comment

Michael Rapaportwe shot Colton Underwood during the “Traitors” roundtable, not only did it go wrong, it blew up the entire vote. During Thursday’s episode, Rapaport lashed out at the former “Bachelor” lead while claiming Underwood should be suspected of being a traitor, dragging Underwood’s real-life story into the game in a way that immediately changed the play. Rapaport claimed that Underwood, who came out as gay in April 2021, had an advantage when it came to cheating because “no one in this room would be better at keeping a secret than you.” Colton Underwood didn’t let it pass him by.

“That’s it. Do you think it was fun for 29 years of my life?” he replied, as Rapaport quickly tried to backpedal, insisting his comment had “nothing to do with that.” But Rapaport doubled down on his suspicions, adding: “I think you came into this game loving the idea 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 talk of rejecting Underwood, Rapaport’s remark flipped the dynamic and suddenly it was his name that was written.

Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir, who is openly gay, denounced this involvement head-on: “You can’t blame someone for being forced to stay in a closet for the majority of their life,” Weir said. “That’s how we took it.” Candiace Dillard Bassett also chimed in and asked Rapaport to “clarify” what he meant if he wasn’t trying to make fun of Underwood’s experience.

Rapaport, however, leaned into his argument instead of backtracking, saying, “His behavior is that of a traitor. His behavior is secretive. He is complicit, he coos, he is compassionate. He is a coward.” And when the group fired back, telling him he was “wrong” regardless of his intentions, Rapaport delivered another harsh jab: “Take it however you want.” He’s a traitor. You are a traitor, a compassionate and complicit traitor. »

By the time the votes were counted, Rapaport had sealed his own fate. He received the most votes and was banned, and the reason was unclear. Even though the game is built around the faithful’s detection of traitors, several players made it clear that their votes reflected how Rapaport handled the moment.

Even “Survivor” alum Natalie Anderson, who had been friends with Rapaport in the game, said his “keep it secret” statement was enough to change her vote. “To me, there are some things that don’t even matter. … Today, the way you talked to Colton, to me, just write your name,” she said.

After his ban, Rapaport attempted to clarify the intention behind his comment, saying: “I meant what I meant in the context of the game. It had nothing to do with his sexuality. I really sincerely apologize if I offended Colton or anyone in the house. That was absolutely not the intention.”

He later doubled down on this explanation in a statement to TMZ Friday, saying: “I spoke to [Underwood] right after filming. We had a great man-to-man conversation, and it was all very cool and respectful. I like him and wish him and his family the best.

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

One person wrote: “Why are you always shouting? Others were much less forgiving, with comments such as: “You’re a fucking piece of shit” and “You fucking homophobic bastard.”

But not everyone saw it the same way. One viewer defended Rapaport’s point of view as purely gameplay, writing, “I think Rapaport is an idiot, and even I knew what he meant. It wasn’t about closets, it was about the game. Stop looking for victim points in other people’s words.”