Overview
- During a tense Roundtable, Rapaport told Underwood, “Nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you,” a comment that immediately shifted the room’s tone.
- Cast members including Johnny Weir and Maura Higgins said the line invoked Underwood’s past closeted sexuality and called it a very low blow.
- Viewers echoed the criticism on social platforms, with many posts labeling the remark homophobic and urging consequences within the game.
- Rapaport apologized afterward, saying he meant the comment within the context of the game and that it had nothing to do with Underwood’s sexuality.
- Rapaport told TMZ he and Underwood had a respectful post-filming conversation, and TMZ cited an unnamed production source calling him “toxic,” while Peacock denied a rumor that it changed the episode rollout.