Michael Rapaport is catching heat after making what many viewers believed to be a homophobic comment about former “Bachelor” star Colton Underwood on the latest episode of “The Traitors.”
The comedian went after Underwood at the roundtable, just before the cast’s elimination vote. While accusing the reality star of being a Traitor, Rapaport said, “Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you.”
Underwood, who was the lead of “The Bachelor” in 2019 before coming out as gay in 2021, hit back by asking, “You think it was fun [hiding my sexuality] for 29 years of my life?”
Rapaport attempted to defend the comment by claiming sexuality had “nothing to do with it.” The rest of the group, however, wasn’t convinced.
“You can’t blame someone for being forced into a closet for the majority of their lives,” said figure skater Johnny Weir.
“I’m not talking about closets! His behavior is of a Traitor,” Rapaport fired back. “His behavior is secretive, it’s conniving.”
Although a few contestants had initially considered voting out Underwood or Ron Funches that night, the majority switched their votes to Rapaport after hearing his “low blow.” Several said they didn’t care if Rapaport was a Traitor or not, they just needed him out of the castle.
After being eliminated, Rapaport later apologized, saying, “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 the intention.”
Rapaport told TMZ on Friday that he had a conversation with Underwood following the show, and that the two were able to make amends.
“I did speak to him right after filming,” he said. “We had a great man to man conversation and everything was very cool and respectful. I like him and wish him and his family the best.”
However, Rapaport is still facing backlash on social media, with viewers across multiple platforms calling him “disgusting,” “homophobic” and a “piece of s–t.”
