The Traitors’ Candiace Dillard Bassett Is Rooting for ‘Everybody But Rob’

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Candiace Dillard Bassett is known for making a strong impression. When she joined The Real Housewives of Potomac in its third season, her background as a former White House staffer and beauty queen (Miss United States) immediately set her apart, especially when compared to fellow cast member Ashley Darby, who had also been a pageant contestant. On the show Traitors, she faced a different challenge with Rob Rausch, a snake wrangler and Love Island USA alum, who surprisingly betrayed her shortly after they both voted out another Traitor, Lisa Rinna. Dillard Bassett was stunned by Rausch’s quick change of heart and strategically cast a ‘throwaway vote’ against him, hoping it would signal to the ‘Faithful’ players that he was a Traitor. However, the other players found her vote suspicious (or were distracted by Rausch’s persona) and eliminated her the next night. Despite being voted out, she doesn’t hold any grudges. “I really valued the friendships I made and getting to know everyone on the cast,” she said. “We have an incredible group – no one can compete with us!” As for the last remaining Traitor…

I really appreciated that you didn’t act like someone being forced into a difficult situation – staying silent and hoping it goes away. I’m pretty direct, so let’s be honest: I wasn’t going to stay quiet. But I was trying to keep a low profile, be nice to everyone, and get to know them. It worked for a while, until someone started talking about me.

We’re creating a show, and part of that means adding some fun and personality. If I hadn’t allowed myself to be expressive, I would have missed out on truly enjoying the process.

When Alan tapped me on the shoulder, I was completely blown away! Honestly, inside I was doing backflips and felt like anything was possible. I’m all in when it comes to playing the game – The Traitors – and I really wanted to be a key player, because that’s just how I approach things. It totally made sense that he chose me, and I was incredibly happy he trusted me with such an important role.

So, about landing that key role – the ‘death conga’ was a brilliant move! We’d been brainstorming ideas for how to make our mark on the game, and the conga line came up organically. It wasn’t something we just decided on the spot. Surprisingly, there was no music playing when we did it. Rob was the only one who seemed to question what was happening. Basically, we were all chatting about what we could contribute, and I suggested a conga line. Everyone loved the idea! It wasn’t pre-planned, but Alan, as usual, tried to sabotage it, pointing out we were committing ‘murder in plain sight.’ I was scrambling to figure out how to make it work with my fellow Traitors. Then, I happened to walk into the bar and it hit me – the conga line was the perfect way to gather everyone in one place, create enough noise and distraction, and allow someone else to sneak in and finish the task. And thankfully, it worked perfectly!

It was fun working with Lisa Rinna! But in a game like this, anything could happen and make someone turn on another player. I never wanted to betray anyone, and I felt loyal to a lot of people. But as a Traitor, you’re in a tough spot – you care about the others, but you also have to protect yourself. I always kept that conflict in mind. I would only betray someone if I absolutely had to, if I felt cornered and had no other way to stay hidden. With Rob, I think he just wanted to do it, there were other possibilities.

So, you’re suggesting he planned that dramatic betrayal we’ve come to expect from the series? Right.

Did you really think through your vote, or, as my friend Maura would say, your ‘trowaway’ vote? I admire Maura, she’s a fellow Sagittarius. My decision was deliberate and strategic. There’s been a lot of talk about me being overly emotional and sabotaging myself by reacting as a woman. To that, I say, forget those outdated expectations! It’s frustrating that when I do something unconventional, it’s immediately labeled as emotional. We saw Michael yelling and Rob prioritizing friendship over the game, and those moments were seen as strategic. But when I act on my feelings, it’s suddenly emotional. Everyone needs to challenge those patriarchal double standards and just relax a little.

Rob completely misled us at breakfast. He claimed his vote for Lisa was a mistake, that he didn’t intend to send her home, and that he didn’t think she’d actually be eliminated. But then, later that night, he not only voted for her again, but actively pushed for it. It’s hard to trust him after that. I fully expect he’ll come after me next. He just lied directly to our faces. This game is called The Traitors, and his actions weren’t about being a loyal player—they were deceitful. He clearly did whatever he thought would benefit his own game, and I guess we’ll see if it pays off.

Do you actually?
[Long pause.] Of course!

The idea behind casting a protest vote was essentially, “If I’m going to lose, I’m going to make sure you lose too.” It was a full-on effort to fight back, signaling, “If you’re going to try and defeat me, I won’t go down without a fight. I’ll cause as much disruption as possible and leave clues for my supporters to rally against you and remove you from power.”

Watching the footage of my conversation with Rob, where he told me it was ‘just a game’ and accused me of being a sore loser, was frustrating. At the time, I actually stayed pretty calm, but it was clear he was intentionally trying to provoke me, which he even admitted in an interview. It felt like unfair and manipulative gameplay.

Do you still consider Rob a teammate? Not anymore. We used to be a team—the strongest one in Traitors history, I think—but he ended it. Sadly, that team doesn’t exist now.

As someone who’s been on reality TV for a long time – pretty much my whole thirties – I’ve definitely seen the downside of being a public figure. Right now, there’s a lot of talk about everyone on the show, and Rob is definitely getting a lot of it, both good and bad. Some fans think he’s amazing and playing the game perfectly, but honestly, I don’t see it that way. Still, I have to admit, he’s doing what he needs to do to get ahead, and I can respect that.

I really hope we can keep things lighthearted and enjoyable, because negativity ruins the experience for everyone. Having seen how toxic fandoms can become, I wouldn’t want that for anyone – not even Rob.

Looking back, I wish I’d tried harder to get Kristen on the team. She’s a really strong and intelligent player, and I think she’d be great at hiding her emotions at the poker table. It would have been awesome to have her bring some female energy back to our group.

So, who am I hoping wins? Anyone except Rob! I’m definitely supporting the Faithfuls. I was trying to give them hints as I left, hoping they’ll catch on to just one of them. Seriously, just one clue would be great!

When thinking about who from Potomac would excel at the game ‘Traitor or Faithful,’ Charisse would be a strong Traitor, and Robyn could also play that role well, though she wouldn’t be very convincing as a Faithful. Karen, on the other hand, would likely be a good Faithful.

I definitely planned my outfits for the castle! I created a mood board for inspiration, taking cues from Alan’s style. I aimed for a really over-the-top, campy look – you don’t often get to play a game in Scotland where you can pretend to commit murder without consequences! Normal clothes just wouldn’t do; I needed something dramatic and fitting for a ‘traitorous’ Scottish vibe. I found a lot of great pieces for the look at an online store called Nana Jacqueline, and I had fun adding lots of hats and gloves. I love accessories, so putting everything together and wearing it around the castle each day was a blast.

Okay, so completely shifting gears from The Traitors, I have to say I really enjoyed my recent Twitter thread about Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance and the surprisingly strong reaction from some corners. And yes, it was aimed at certain Housewives – honestly, it was for anyone acting particularly foolish. I’ve actually been trying to stay off Twitter more lately. Andy Cohen jokingly called me a “disaster” on there, and I think I’ve matured a bit since then. I don’t feel the need to constantly be involved in Twitter drama. Between being a mom, a wife, and just working a lot, I simply don’t have the time. But I can’t stay silent when I see something wrong, especially when it feels like people are unfairly piling on. I’ll always stand up against injustice, particularly when it impacts people of color or the LGBTQ+ community. As a Black woman and someone with a public platform, I feel it’s my responsibility to speak out whenever and wherever I can.

It just felt off to inject negativity into what was supposed to be a unifying moment. While Bad Bunny’s performance was incredible, some felt he could have used the platform to make a stronger statement, especially with rumors of immigration enforcement activity outside the stadium. There was a lot of fear going around, and he had an opportunity to directly address it, but he chose to focus on celebration. And honestly, that makes sense – my Puerto Rican friends just want to enjoy life and have a good time, and that’s exactly what he delivered with his amazing performance. The message at the end – that love is stronger than hate – was undeniable. But even that wasn’t enough for some people, which led me to vent my frustration online. It felt like the only way to respond.

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2026-02-11 18:56