SPOILER ALERT: This post contains details of the latest episode of The Traitors.
Lisa Rinna is defending her The Traitors co-star Colton Underwood following backlash as the Peacock reality competition intensifies.
On the latest episode of the game show, the former Bachelor star confronted the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum as he attempted to uncover a traitor.
Underwood noted that he didn’t watch Real Housewives, but what he knew about Rinna wasn’t the same Rinna who was competing on The Traitors. This was the reason why he told her he was going to come after her and unmask her.
Rinna took part in the social media discourse about The Traitors and made light jabs at Underwood, recalling past allegations that led to a restraining order filed by Bachelor co-star Cassie Randolph. The Real Housewives within Rinna came out, and the backlash only intensified, prompting the Veronica Mars alum to defend Underwood.
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“It’s come to my attention that my post that I responded to in my housewife mode is taking on a life of its own, and it’s causing real problems for Colton,” Rinna said in an Instagram Stories post. “I do not want this, because Colton and I are great. He was a great and is a great nemesis for me on the show in the game. Now, as you know, if you asked me to be a housewife, I’ll bring it to you, right? That’s what I was doing, all in the name of the game.”
Rinna reiterated that she is “totally great with Colton” and the two have been exchanging text messages.
“The fact that the backlash is happening, I feel horrible about because I don’t want to hurt anybody. I am here to play the game and have fun. And Colton is a great nemesis for me. We had so much fun. I’ve only always had a great time with him,” she continued. “So please, guys, be gentle. It’s a game. It’s a TV show. We’re all doing the best we can. Don’t send death threats or do anything to jeopardize somebody’s family. We had so much fun doing it. It was really hard.”
“So everyone take a deep breath and just know that everything is great. It’s a game. It is a game. Try to watch it like a sporting event, you know, like if you’re watching football or wrestling, and just be gentle with everybody, because everyone’s doing the best they can.”
Peacock also released a statement reminding viewers to be kind to the contestants as they discuss the show on social media.
“We are committed to making our cats feel safe, respected, and supported — on screen and off,” read the statement.
“The cast of The Traitors are real people, and what happens in the game should never lead to cyberbullying or harassment. There’s a difference between discussing a show and targeting individuals,” the statement continued. “Let’s not ruin the passion for this show with unwarranted negativity and personal attacks. We appreciate your support.”