- - Colton Underwood Says He Isn’t ‘Holding a Grudge’ After Michael Rapaport Seemingly Commented on His Sexuality on “The Traitors”

Desiree AnelloJanuary 18, 2026 at 7:16 AM

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Colton Underwood; Michael Rapaport -

Colton Underwood addressed the controversial comments that Michael Rapaport made about him during the Jan. 15 episode of The Traitors

At the show's Round Table, the comedian told the Bachelor Nation alum that “nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you,” which many interpreted as a dig at Underwood’s sexuality

“The coming-out process takes a long time, and I'm still very much in my coming-out process, so there's always little things here and there that sort of re-trigger old emotions,” Underwood said

Colton Underwood is sharing his thoughts on Michael Rapaport’s controversial remarks during a recent episode of The Traitors.

During the Jan. 15 episode of the reality competition series, the comedian, 55, accused the Bachelor Nation alum, 33, of being a Traitor at the Round Table — but his arguments were quickly met with backlash.

“I’m angry, I'm pissed off and I'm isolated because of him,” Rapaport said during the episode, pointing across the table at Underwood. “And nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you.”

After appearing on both The Bachelorette in 2018 and The Bachelor in 2019, Underwood came out as gay on Good Morning America in April 2021, saying he “ran from myself for a long time” while dating women all those years.

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Colton Underwood on 'The Traitors'

In response to Rapaport’s seemingly pointed dig, Underwood responded, “You think it was fun for 29 years of my life?”

While Rapaport then claimed that his comments had “nothing to do” with the reality star’s past, contestants on the show and viewers at home both seemed to disagree. In fact, Rapaport’s castmates voted him out of the show — despite believing he was likely a Faithful.

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In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Underwood reflected on the tense moment and how he interpreted Rapaport's comments.

Euan Cherry/Peacock

From left: Mark Ballas, Dorinda Medley, Lisa Rinna, Colton Underwood, Candiace Dillard Bassett, Michael Rapaport, Tara Lipinski, Maura Higgins, Stephen Colletti on 'The Traitors'

“The coming-out process takes a long time, and I'm still very much in my coming-out process, so there's always little things here and there that sort of re-trigger old emotions,” he told the outlet. “I'm still working on how to process it, and I think you definitely see that come up and hit me.”

“The reason I said yes to doing a show like The Traitors is it's not personal,” Underwood continued. “The drama and the intensity of the show is always so game-focused, so I think that's what just threw me a little bit, is when it got personal and he [Rapaport] was using me as a human being instead of my gameplay against me. That's what caught me off guard.”

Underwood also shared that he isn’t “holding a grudge against [Rapaport],” noting that the actor eventually apologized and insisted that he "didn't mean” to take a dig at his sexuality.

“In the short time that I got to know Michael, he was self-aware enough. He's a fast talker, he's a slick talker, and he said it in one of his interviews, his mouth gets him in trouble,” Underwood told EW. “I grew up around those types of people. It's very much like a locker-room-style environment, and I think phrases and little digs and things towards the gay community get thrown out a lot in those types of environments.”

Euan Cherry/PEACOCK

Michael Rapaport on 'The Traitors'

“I'm at a point in my life where I'm definitely not sitting in that emotion,” he added. “I don't feel like a victim at all. I know he's probably watching it back just with a little bit of regret on how he delivered it.”

Still, Underwood emphasized the importance of standing up for himself — both in the game and in his everyday life.

"I can only be a punching bag for so long,” he said. “Even today, seeing some people's [and] fans of the show's comments towards me, I can only sit quiet for so long.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”