Here’s What the Fallen Faithfuls Have to Say About ‘Traitors’ Season 4

Did you feel more safe knowing you didn’t come from the Housewives or gamer faction, considering those are often targeted?

I come from a reality show where you need actual talent, which sounds shady, but it is true. We need talent to do well on our show. We’re not Housewives just breaking wine glasses and threatening to stab another girl because they talk about your husband. That’s just not the world I’m from. I, as a Drag Race contestant, and someone from my small part of the internet and television, I was just using my charm… People in the castle really liked me. People really adored me and a lot of people trusted me, so I was just clinging onto that. I think that may have been my fatal flaw because in saying my name, Lisa was afraid that I would say it more and more people — because Candiace said no one heard it — I think Lisa was like, “OK, good. I got to get her now because if more people here trust Monét, they like Monét; they will side with her.” Although, it didn’t work for Michael Rapaport. I was trying to get Michael Rapaport out from day one. I voted for her in the first roundtable. I was like, “This guy has to go.”

If there were to be an all-star season, is there another Drag Race contestant you would want in it with you?

Oh, put me and Bob [the Drag Queen] together. I think that we would wreak havoc in that castle. I don’t think Alan will make us both Traitors — although that would be fierce — but Bob and I… Whether we’re two Faithfuls together, two Traitors together or either or, I think it would be the meetup of the century. It would be the greatest season of Traitors ever. Alan is robbing the viewers by not making that happen.

You were banished by a Housewife, does it feel more personal?

Oh, it’s Lisa Rinna. I’ve know her personally for a long time, so that was personal. She chose to take me out. It’s definitely personal, but we’re in a game, and she did what she felt she had to do. Am I happy about it? No. Was I surprised? Not at all. I think I made every comment knowing that Lisa would run her own family down or friend, and she’s not going to be loyal to me. Why would she? I’m not shocked at all, and if I put my game face on, it’s a brilliant move.

Would you ever want to come back and be a Traitor?

I’m not sure if I’d be a Traitor, but 100 percent, I would do it again. It was one of the funnest experiences I’ve ever had on a show. I feel like I was born on Big Brother. That’s my childhood. I grew up on Big Brother. The Challenge is my teenage years, where I’m out here, I’m drinking and driving. I’m trying to see if I’m grown. The Traitors is like the adult me. I’ve matured. I’m legal. I’m a grown woman. Everything about the experience felt like an evolution in where I deserve to be. The only unfortunate thing is that they just didn’t deserve me.

What did you think your place in the castle would be going into the season?

I think that’s the challenging part that a lot of people might not fully understand. You can try to have a strategy, you can try to have a game plan, but until you meet the other players — and also find out if you’re a Traitor or Faithful — you can’t really put a plan together because there’s so many different variables. There’s so many wild cards [like] a Lisa Rinna on the show [that] changes the dynamic of the entire castle. I didn’t really fully have a plan or a strategy. I just knew if I started as a Faithful, I would want to be recruited into a Traitor. I felt like that’s the best chance of success in the game.

I’m wondering if you’ve seen the online conversation? Certainly people have been bringing up things from your past that have resurfaced in light of you being on TV again.

I obviously have definitely seen comments. I’ve seen videos. I understand that a lot of it lacks a lot of context. A lot of it lacks accuracy and truth, just to be very blunt. I’m not interested in going tit for tat or rehashing everything. I also understand there’s a lot of people who are meeting me for the very first time on Traitors, and I’m a very intense game player. How I show up on the television show and in a game is not how I show up in my real life as a husband and as a father. I also understand that there were people who watched my Bachelor season and then maybe have not followed me the last five or six years, and then this is where they see me again. I know that can be a little jarring of who is this person. It’s somebody who’s experiencing happiness and joy I’ve never experienced before, and I’m very comfortable in my skin. I love the opportunity that I had presented to me to compete in a show. I was a fan of Traitors and for this to work in my schedule and to take time away from my family, I wanted to really go all in and do my best.

You were brought back this season. You got pretty far into it this time. How did that feel?

Listen, I was so excited and amazed that I got asked back. It was so heartbreaking when I got murdered so quickly [last season.] I just couldn’t believe it. I’d spent so much time preparing. [I] said my farewells to my friends and family and read and worked out to go back so quickly. Crazy thing is, when you come back, you can’t really go back into the public because they’re still filming. You’re kind of back in isolation. When I went back, it was great because I went back with a different set of eyes and attitude. I just thought, I’m just going to do my best. I’m going to let it roll. I’m going to try to really embrace the experience and try to stay under the radar so that enough that I can watch and observe, but not get killed off. Let other people do the dirty work. We’re definitely, as Housewives, we’re trained to call things out, make note. Whereas, this time, I tried to create relationships and hopefully not be the one whose name is brought up late at night in the turret. That’s a real scary thing.

I can imagine. Even if it’s not real…

But here’s the weird thing. Nicole, the longer you’re there, it almost is real. Remember, we have no communication with the outside world, no internet, no downtime. We’re just either filming or sleeping. When you’re awake, you’re a Traitor or Faithful from the time after you brush your teeth.

Do you think you have a moment in your mind where everything kind of flipped for you?

It’s really just right before the roundtable, if not at the roundtable. I didn’t have a conversation with Natalie. She never came to me. I guess Johnny and Tara were having a conversation with her. The fact that Natalie, who already accused me of trying to murder her, because I served her a roast, who apologized and we had good conversations about that. I felt like she owed me one, but then she was really quick to just stab me in the back. She never talked to me about it until the roundtable. I felt like everything that they put up against me, I had a great answer for, but they had made up their mind. Natalie was simply going, “Better him than me,” and “As long as it’s not me, I’m cool with that.” It’s tough to see it happen there. I knew as soon as the votes were being flipped, when Eric flipped his, I knew he was a Traitor. Natalie, I felt like she was just preserving herself. Johnny and Tara, they were going to defend themselves. I totally got that.

Who are you rooting? I’m sure you know what happened, but…

There’s a few people I’m rooting for. I really enjoyed my time with Tara and Johnny, and I respect what they did at the end there for each other. Look, if you lose to a couple of Olympians, you got to tip your cap to them. There’s that. Definitely not Natalie after she stabbed me in the back. Really anybody but Natalie, we’ll say. No, I’m just kidding. She’s great; within the game [was] where our frustration was there. I love Natalie. I think from there, I loved seeing what Kristen was doing at the end and the way that she’s speaking out to somebody to their face. Well, I mean, she did it to Tara earlier in the game, that was strong, and she’s doing it to Eric now after the roundtable. I really like the way that she’s playing the game. Her and Mark had a great alliance when I was playing with them as well, very similar. She’s doing what I wanted to do. We have a lot of information, especially after my banishment. There’s a lot that’s told from there. Being able to speak up more and be more aggressive with all the information we have, I would’ve done [it] the same way. I’m rooting for some of the Faithfuls to go all the way, even though Faithfuls do not deserve it at this point. Faithfuls are blowing it and we stink. Rob is pitching a perfect game up to this point. Let’s hope somebody can find some breadcrumbs and point the finger at Rob because it’s time to get him in the hot seat.

What kind of player did you see yourself being on the show?

I tried not to go in with any expectations and so much of how you have to play sometimes is dictated by who you’re playing with. That was the big unknown. I had no idea what personalities I was going to be up against. The thing for me was that I knew I was never going to be able to turn into a different version of myself. I am a lot of different things that I feel like I tapped into. There were moments where I felt like I had to follow as opposed to lead for the longevity of the game. There were parts where I am very direct and I’m very to the point, and I’m very honest. I knew that I couldn’t tame down natural parts of who I am, and why I feel like I’ve succeeded outside of the Traitors. We had to assess the situation. I knew I was not going to be an aggressive, loud player, but I was going to be honest, direct, and try to just make it one more day.