Facing the truth. The Traitors star Rachel Reilly opens up about her former castmate Arie Luyendyk Jr.’s betrayal and decision to quit the show in an exclusive interview with In Touch. 

“I as a gamer do not respect that decision because, with Ari, he decided to turn his back on the faithfuls,” the Amazing Race alum, 38, says. “He turned his back on our alliance, and then at the very end, he turned his back on Andie [Thurmond], who was his best friend at the time. And, you know, I felt like he was going that far into it. I think he should have just stuck it out. But I don’t know, like, I don’t know what was going through his mind.” 

Rachel adds that she believes viewers and the cast of The Traitors will “learn about what was going through [Arie’s] mind more at the reunion.” 

The season 1 reunion is scheduled to stream on Peacock on Tuesday, February 28, and will be hosted by Andy Cohen

‘The Traitors’: Rachel on Arie’s Betrayal, Quitting Show
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In terms of their initial relationship on the show, Rachel notes that she and the former Bachelor star “were really good friends” and “had each other’s backs” until Arie, 41,  showed his true colors on the show. 

“And then out of nowhere, you know, Arie decides to be a traitor,” she adds. “So, I understand he’s recruited, I understand that gameplay, and it’s maybe a good move for his game. However, like Cody [Calafiore], Christian [De La Torre], Cirie [Fields], they were all made traitors in the very beginning. They had … no other way to play that game. They had to, you know, work with the cards that they were dealt, whereas Arie, like, the whole game — more than three quarters of the way full of the game — he decides to be a traitor.” 

‘The Traitors’: Cast, Plot Details, How to Watch, More
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The Big Brother alum continues, “And not only did he decide to turn on us as faithfuls and become a traitor and try to play for the other side, but he also, like, totally went against our alliance because I had been working with him, and we said we would have each other’s backs.”

The intense competition series focuses on a group of people who are secretly divided into the “faithfuls” and the “traitors.” The traitors must create a plan to steal the $250,000 prize from the other contestants while the faithfuls race against the clock to decipher who among them are the threats. Actor Alan Cumming is the series’ host.  

In the season 1 finale, Arie decided to remove himself from the game.  

Since she was shocked at her frenemy’s actions, Rachel tells In Touch that she “would love to know what he was thinking ‘cause not only did he turn his back on [them], but he turned his back … on his alliance. 

“But you know, Ari,” she adds. “Like, listen, he’s used to turning his back on people and changing his mind.” 

The mysterious reality TV series was recently renewed for a season 2. 

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