The team behind the reality series “The Traitors” responded to cyberbullying of its cast Saturday, pleading with fans that they “not ruin the passion for this show with unwarranted negativity and personal attacks” in a post shared onliner.
“We are committed to making our casts feel safe, respected, and supported — on screen and off,” the message began. “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.”
“Let’s not ruin the passion for this show with unwarranted negativity and personal attacks. We appreciate your support,” the message concluded.
Though the message did not point to specific instances of cyberbullying, two cast members have been on the receiving end of extra attention that has impacted their behavior on the show. Ron Funches notably revealed his autism diagnosis — his private medical history he is not obligated to share with anyone — after several viewers commented on social media that he appeared to display traits of the spectrum disorder.
“You win this round. Still not gay. Yet,” Funches wrote in his Instagram Stories in January. “Thanks @thetraitorsus for helping me find out more about me through some type of cruel trauma.”
He later shared a second message in which he asked his followers to “please be kind to others even if you’re on a murder-based game show. It’s a game and you never know what people are dealing with. Or what they don’t even know they are dealing with.”
Cast member Colton Underwood has also been on the receiving end of online attention after costar Lisa Rinna commented on a post from a content creator about the pair going up against one another on the reality series. “Let’s talk about you being a stalker….” Rinna wrote, a reference to the alleged harassment and stalking of Underwood’s ex Cassie Randolph.
Randolph also filed a restraining order against Underwood and accused him of putting a tracking device on her car. Randolph later dropped the restraining order and the pair reached a settlement.
