Colton Underwood is keen to maneuver ahead with Michael Rapaport after a deeply private feud with the actor throughout the latest season of “The Traitors.” The newest episode of the thrilling competitors collection generated a powerful response from viewers who slammed Rapaport for making a “homophobic” assertion throughout the present’s intense roundtable phase. Throughout a latest interview, nevertheless, Underwood implied that he was keen to bury the hatchet with Rapaport as soon as and for all.

Talking with Leisure Weekly, Underwood opened up about how difficult the coming-out course of could be for LGBTQ+ people. “I am nonetheless engaged on the right way to course of it, and I believe you undoubtedly see that come up and hit me,” he stated. “The rationale I stated sure to doing a present like The Traitors is it is not private.”

For individuals who would possibly’ve missed it, Rapaport shocked his “Traitors” co-stars when he appeared to take a private dig at Underwood on the finish of episode 5, saying “no person on this room could be higher at holding a secret than you.” Many interpreted Rapaport’s feedback as a reference to the truth star’s determination to publicly come out as homosexual in April 2021.

“The drama and the depth of the present is all the time so game-focused, so I believe that is what simply threw me a bit of bit, is when it acquired private and he was utilizing me as a human being as an alternative of my gameplay towards me. That is what caught me off guard, and I believe you felt that and noticed it within the episode,” Underwood stated.

In the course of the episode, a lot of Underwood’s co-stars, together with Jonny Weir and Candiace Dillard Bassett, rushed to his protection. And whereas Rapaport insisted his assertion had nothing to do together with his sexuality, Underwood actually felt the alternative.

“I may simply let you know how I took it, and I did take it that it was not in a gaming means and it was extra of a private dig at my previous and what I went by means of and the way I dealt with myself,” he stated. “I might be the primary individual to say I am undoubtedly not good, and I undoubtedly made a whole lot of errors. However at this level in my life, it was 5 or 6 years in the past after I first began the coming-out course of, and I am in simply such a unique section of life with my household and professionally.”

Underwood shared that he wasn’t holding a “grudge” towards Rapaport, noting that the latter had reached out to apologize for his phrases. “… however I do assume it will be important for me in my life at this level to start out standing up for myself. I can solely be a punching bag for thus lengthy. Even in the present day, seeing some folks’s [and] followers of the present’s feedback in direction of me, I can solely sit quiet for thus lengthy,” he added.

Rapaport’s feedback did not sit properly with some followers of the present, who instantly rushed to social media to slam the “True Romance” actor over his “homophobic” feedback.

“F**okay Michael Rapaport,” somebody wrote. “He is been recognized to be a bigot for a very long time. Colton’s no angel, and has a shady historical past too, however the sexuality remark was triggering for me. Jogged my memory of these males who’re bullies and might’t stand when homosexual males name them out.”

One other person accused Rapaport of “dog-whistling the homophobia,” whereas a 3rd argued that Rapaport ought to’ve been instantly faraway from the sport for his seemingly insensitive feedback.

In the meantime, different customers questioned whether or not Rapaport meant his assertion the way in which some forged members and different viewers had been deciphering it.

“Massive Brother” alum Tommy Bracco wrote, “If that is all that was stated by Michael on this second, I am confused why everybody freaked out on him. He is proper.”