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Season 3 of The Traitors has officially launched on Peacock, and things are already heating up for Chrishell Strause. The Selling Sunset star, who became a polarizing figure on the Netflix reality show, joined the cast but instantly caused some trouble. In case you need a refresher, The Traitors is hosted by Alan Cumming. The show is comprised of a stacked cast of reality stars. Some are competition legends, like Boston Rob from Survivor and Danielle Reyes from Big Brother. And others are outspoken villains, like Tom Sandoval from Vanderpump Rules, who know how to make a splash.
Throughout the cast, Cumming labels most of them as “Faithfuls.” However, a handful of them are selected to be the show’s “Traitors.” Their job is to secretly murder the faithful without being caught by the others. As one can imagine, this causes a lot of stress in the Scotland castle they’re residing in, leaving everyone pointing fingers at the others. During the first episode of Season 3, Sandoval accused Chrishell of being a Traitor. But if you’re familiar with this girl boss … she didn’t go down without a fight.
Tom Slams Chrishell as ‘Traitor’ During the First Episode
After Alan Cumming finished selecting his Traitors, Tom Sandoval grew suspicious of Chrishell. The Bravo reality star told several people in the castle, including Dylan Efron. “Right when we first walked out, Tom mentioned you,” Dylan told the Netflix realtor. “It was like, five steps out of there.”
Chrishell spoke with other cast members, wondering if Tom was targeting Chrishell because of her close friendship with his ex, Ariana Madix. For those who might not remember, Tom became public enemy number one a year ago when his seven-month affair became public. His former girlfriend, Ariana, became a massive star following the split, earning spots on Broadway and Love Island. “Do you think it’s because I’m friends with Ariana, and he knows that?” Chrishell asked. “That’s sabotage!”
During her confessional interview, Chrishell questioned Tom’s motives and gameplay. “First of all, who plays like that?” she asked. “Second of all, I know Tom has a bias against me because I am friends with his ex. Knowing what he did to Ariana, I have an opinion of him already. If the ship’s burning, he’s coming down with me.”
Strause Tells Tom Sandoval He Makes Her Extremely ‘Uncomfortable’
During the heated roundtable discussion, Tom and Chrishell finally address what they’ve said about each other. According to Tom, Chrishell’s behavior was “very strange to me,” he said. However, Strause wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She popped back, saying that Tom “threw out the most names and caused the most chaos,” likening him to that of a Traitor. “You make me uncomfortable,” she said.
But she didn’t stop there. Chrishell continued, telling the entire cast that she had a personal connection to Tom’s ex-girlfriend. “I told you, before we ever hit the roundtable, a personal connection to you, that I am friends with your ex,” she said. “We had a cool conversation. You were like, ‘Let’s not make that awkward.’ I was like, ‘Okay, good, I feel relieved.’ I was so nervous about that.”
Despite their friendly interaction at the start of the game, the good spirits didn’t last long. When Chrishell cast her vote for who she believed to be a Traitor, she came for Tom. “The Traitors have to be able to lie and cheat and deceive easily,” she said. “And since I know that you possess all of those skills, I voted for you.”
It’s still too early in the season to know what else happened between these two powerhouse reality stars. But if we had to guess, things only got worse. When Chrishell first promoted the show and cast on her Instagram in November 2024, she blocked Tom’s face out with pictures of the Scottish Highlands.
