Since The Traitors became a hit reality show, fans have learned a lot about it. For example, many fans learned that a British Royal family member competed, that Nikki Garcia’s game fell apart for a personal reason, and the shocking reason “Boston” Rob Mariano lasted as long as he did. Fans also learned about Season 3’s controversial first “murder,” about Tom Sandoval’s sweaty armpits, and that many Big Brother players have flopped on The Traitors.

After the first three seasons of The Traitors also featured some truly great cast members, fans had also learned to trust the team that decides who gets to compete on the show. However, the inclusion of one person as a part of The Traitors Season 4’s cast seems like a huge mistake that has destroyed that trust.

Why Casting Michael Rapaport For The Traitors Season 4 Was a Massive Mistake

During the first three seasons of The Traitors, fans were very excited to see many of the casting decisions that seemed like no-brainers. For example, reality show fans have been very excited to see representatives from RuPaul’s Drag Race and the Real Housewives franchise. On top of that, the inclusion of competitors from shows like Survivor, Big Brother, and The Challenge makes perfect sense.

On the other hand, the team behind The Traitors has made some casting decisions that baffled everyone at first. The inclusions of Zac Efron’s brother, Dylan Efron, the former Speaker of the House, John Bercow, and a member of the British Royals, Lord Ivar Mountbatten are some examples of that.

When the cast for The Traitors Season 4 was announced, many fans were confused by the inclusion of the actor Michael Rapaport. Worse than that, casting Michael was a huge mistake for The Traitors, since many of the show’s most dedicated viewers were outraged by his inclusion.

At one time in the past, getting Michael involved in a TV show would have been seen as a great thing. A highly successful actor who has landed roles in many acclaimed projects, that used to be what Michael was mostly known for.

While Michael has always been known as an outspoken person, that has overshadowed his acting career in recent years. Unfortunately for the team behind The Traitors, many of the beliefs that Michael is so outspoken about have made him a very controversial figure.

After it was announced that Michael would compete on The Traitors, the backlash on social media was palpable.

The same day that the casting of Michael was officially announced, a fan on the r/TheTraitors subreddit reacted to the news. That post featured a link to an X Thread that summarized some of the things that Michael has said, posted, and done that have outraged many observers.

That trend pointed to things like Michael urging Americans to vote for Donald Trump and embracing being called racist. To be clear, Michael appeared to be responding to people he believed accused anyone they disagreed with of being racist. The thread also posted an image of a Page Six report that claimed Michael pleaded guilty to harassing his ex-girlfriend Lili Taylor. The thread also focused on Michael’s reactions to the war in Israel and Gaza and how he treated Kenya Moore during and after they appeared on Watch What Happens Live together.

While Michael certainly still has many fans, and he has defended the things that thread brought up and other controversies, that isn’t the point.

The problem for the team behind The Traitors is that the inclusion of Michael has caused a serious backlash among many of the show’s most passionate fans. To see how much anger many The Traitors fans are feeling about Michael’s casting, all you have to do is look at the reactions to the aforementioned r/TheTraitors subreddit post.

The top most-upvoted response to the subreddit post didn’t hold back at all while expressing outrage at Michael’s casting.

“like i HATED tom sandoval before this past season but he is not a deeply evil, harmful to society as a whole type of human the way rapp is. he’s truly a horrible horrible horrible human being i cannot believe this s*** still and it’s been hours”

The second most-upvoted response also revealed how angry fans are about Michael’s casting in a really blunt and succinct way.

On top of expressing their anger, many The Traitors fans have pledged on social media to not watch the season solely because of Michael’s inclusion. All of that doesn’t even touch on another reason why Michael’s casting was a huge mistake.

Michael Rapaport’s Inclusion Has Taken Away From Everyone Else Included In The Traitors’ Season 4 Cast

As this article previously stated, the team behind The Traitors has a history of truly inspired casting decisions. While looking at who will be competing during The Traitors eason 4, it is clear many fantastic casting decisions were made for the season too.

While she may be awful on the show, her sons’ fame and her link to Taylor Swift made Donna Kelce a brilliant casting choice. The season also includes the much-talked-about actor Lisa Rinna, who also represents the Real Housewives franchise alongside several of her peers.

Fan favorites from reality shows like Survivor, Top Chef, Big Brother, Dancing with the Stars, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Amazing Race, The Bachelor, and Love Island will also be represented.

Despite all the reasons to be excited about The Traitors Season 4, however, that was overshadowed for many fans and haters alike. Instead, the inclusion of Michael Rapaport is the biggest thing about The Traitors Season 4 that people are talking about.

For The Traitors fans, it is a real shame to see the discussion of the show become overwhelmed with negativity. It is especially sad since this is a moment that should give The Traitors fans big things to be excited about.