Lisa Rinna Defends Colton Underwood Despite Calling Him A 'Stalker' Following 'Traitors' Drama

Lisa Rinna recently pleaded with viewers of "The Traitors" to lay off her co-star Colton Underwood. Following the latest episode, viewers have been voicing their displeasure with Underwood, who is embroiled in what appears to be an upcoming feud with Rinn on season 4 of Peacock's hit reality series. Underwood has already been at the center of attention following his intense interaction with the controversial Michael Rapaport, whom watchers slammed as "homophobic."

Warning: this post contains spoilers from episodes 1-6 of "The Traitors."

In a video, Rinna, known for her time on "Days of our Lives" and "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," said that she's been made aware that Underwood has been receiving nasty messages since the latest episode of "The Traitors," on which they both appear.

According to Rinna, she and Underwood are in a "great" space, and she doesn't want people to confuse their interactions on the show or on social media with real life. "He was a great and is a great nemesis for me on the show in the game," Rinna added.

The iconic reality star pointed to an interaction they had during the episode, in which Underwood pegged Rinna as one of the show's titular characters, urging her to show the personality people associate her with from her time on Bravo.

"Now, as you know, if you ask me to be a Housewife I’ll bring it to you, right? That’s what I was doing, all in the name of the game. But just so you know, I am totally great with Colton. I have been texting with him. We talk. Everything is great," she said.

Rinna's video update comes a day after the "Melrose Place" actress called Underwood a "stalker" on Instagram. "Let's talk about you being a stalker..." she wrote, referring to Underwood's alleged harassment of ex-girlfriend Cassie Randolph.

In September 2020, Underwood's ex-girlfriend Randolph requested a restraining order against the "Bachelor" star, claiming the reality TV personality was stalking and harassing her with text messages and by placing a tracking device on her car.

Rinna's comment arrives after the latest episode of "The Traitors" aired on Thursday, January 22, and showed Underwood actively working to get Rinna banished from the game.

Underwood has received significant backlash over his alleged past actions.

Along with social media users sharing their disappointed reactions to Underwood's appearance on this season of "The Traitors," Demi Burnett, a contestant on Underwood's season of "The Bachelor," also voiced her opposition.

The negative comments seemed to intensify after the most recent episode, prompting the show's production to issue a statement.

"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," the statement read. "Let's not ruin the passion for this show with unwarranted negativity and personal attacks."

Rinna isn't the only cast member Underwood has had conflict with on this season of "The Traitors," according to The Blast.

During episode five, Underwood went head-to-head with Rapaport, who faced backlash after saying "nobody in this room would be better at holding a secret than you."

Many interpreted Rapaport's comment to be aimed at Underwood's coming out as gay in April 2021, labeling the outspoken personality "homophobic."

Rapaport addressed his comments on the show, declaring that he wasn't referring to Underwood's sexuality. He also apologized in recent interviews.

While Underwood has seemingly accepted Rapaport's apology, stating he wasn't holding a "grudge" against the 55-year-old, Rapaport appears to want nothing more to do with the show.

Speaking with Andy Cohen, Rapaport hinted he might skip the upcoming reunion special, a move Cohen disagreed with.

"I don’t know. You know why, Andy? Because, you know, I feel like, you know, everybody got to know me. Like when people are like, you know, acting like I’m some freak, it’s offensive to me because we spent…" Rapaport said.

In another interview, Rapaport said he felt "completely misunderstood" and "gaslit" by his fellow cast members during his interaction with Underwood.