'The Traitors' Star Monét X Change Declares War on 'Real Housewives'

Like nearly every other contestant cast on the latest season of the most-watched unscripted show in America, The Traitors, Monét came to Scotland with hopes of landing the titular role of “traitor,” which involves being tasked every night with committing murder. For many fans who have seen numerous compilation videos of her lying to friends for sport, it wasn’t a matter of if our favorite trickster from East Flatbush with classical opera training would get the call, but when.

After being chosen as a Faithful, she quickly adapted, building a solid voting record. In the first roundtable, she correctly chose to banish a distraction to the greater cause rather than follow a herd mentality, voting for Michael Rapaport over Porsha Williams. The following night, she successfully went with the consensus and banished the first Traitor of the season, Donna Kelce, whose identity as a secret Traitor was hidden even from the audience.

While establishing crucial alliances with Survivor legends Rob Cesternino and Natalie Anderson, she also formed a fatal friendship with Candice Dillard Bassett from The Real Housewives of Potomac, who — unbeknownst to Monét — was one of the four selected Traitors. Bassett would ultimately offer her up to fellow Traitor Lisa Rinna, leading to Monét’s murder in the fifth episode.

It was a tragic loss for the season, but she at least can celebrate in the comeuppance of outlasting Bob.

Following her murder this week, PAPER caught up with the multi-hyphenate to discuss Monét X Change’s love for social strategy games, what to wear to a whodunnit, her upcoming film with RuPaul, which is coming to theatres this summer, and her new comedy tour High Heels, Bad Knees.

I wish we were here under better circumstances, obviously…

Kill the Housewives! But seriously, The Traitors is probably the most fun on reality TV I've ever had. This might sound like so much, but it does feel like a life-changing experience to play this real life whodunit, and I had the best time being up in the Highlands of Scotland, playing this game. Watching it back, it is only an hour long show, so you just feel like, “How are they going to fit all of it?” because this happened, that happened. Seeing all the things that I wasn't even a part of is so cool, and I had the best time. I love watching it back. This is my favourite show.

You told Candiace in confidence about your suspicions of Lisa Rinna. She later informed her fellow Traitor of this information. In hindsight, would you have handled this any differently, both as a faithful and as a Traitor?

It's hard to say that I would've done it differently because Candiace is someone I just thought I could trust. There were a handful of people in the house that I thought I could trust, she was one of them, and it was something I said so flippantly in passing, because again, I thought she was an ally.

Yeah, looking back on it, I had said to her, Hey girl, I dunno if you're a Traitor and you don’t if I'm a Traitor, but I trust you, whatever your allegiance is, I will never bring your name up at a round table and if I'm a Traitor, I will never say your name in the turret and I'm asking for the same from you. And she was like got it, but she's a fucking Traitor. So obviously those words meant nothing to her. To see how one little thing you say can be your entire undoing in the game is both the brilliant and devastating thing about this game. In an alternate reality where I had not said that, maybe that would've been another reason why it would've gone differently. So you can't play the “what if I didn't” game because you just never know what would've happened in the castle.

You also were one of the first contestants that were aware that you would be playing with Donna Kelce, as you were in the same truck together. Arguably, you had the most time with her before she was selected in secret. Did you have any suspicions of her on that first night?

Yeah, so in the car ride up to the castle, Donna was so talkative. She was so chatty, telling Rinna and Rob Cesternino that she knows so much about reality TV and this, that and the other. That's why after that first night, when she just started being so reserved, I was like, oh, something is afoot here. There is a foot, and there are five toes on it, and it is Donna Kelce. She just got so quiet. So that's why I was clued into the fact that she might've been a Traitor because her personality changed so much from the car ride up to the castle after the first night. She just seemed like a different person.

I am sure there was a lot to unpack. Even just realizing that Taylor Swift's future mother-in-law's in the car with me.

I didn't know that, because I love Taylor Swift, I'm a swifty, but I don't know anything about football. I know there's a ball and it involves feet. That's all I know about football. So I didn't really know anything about Donna Kelce, but Rob Cesternino knows sports, and she was in the car and said something like, So you're going to be Taylor Swift’s mother-in-law soon? I pretended I knew who she was, and when he said that I was like, oh shit, that's Taylor Swift’s future mother-in-law. I did not know at the beginning who she was and why she's even there. I was like, this must be the mother of a housewife, or maybe she's a top chef.

You are a diehard fan of not only this show, but a ton of social strategy competitions. We all kind of have a gateway drug for this type of show. What was the first one that made you fall in love with these games of deception and backstabbing?

Ugh, life? Going through public school in New York City? But no, I think my first reality competition show I really got into, and it's such a different show, but Chopped, I'm an avid Chopped watcher. I literally watch Chopped like it's football. I watch every episode, I'm standing screaming at my TV. I'm like, No, don't make a soufflé! It's going to take too long! My family used to watch Survivor when I was young, but I never paid attention to it. But during the pandemic, we were all looking for something that would take a long time, cause we didn't know how long this shit was going to last. And I saw that Survivor was on streaming, so I looked up what was the best season of Survivor to watch. I watched a season every two days, and that's when I got addicted to strategy games. And then I moved to LA! I do all these game nights where I'm playing like Secret Hitler, Mafia, all these games that are very Traitors-esque.

So you came prepared. Were there any Survivor players that you really gravitated towards?

Oh, I mean, my favorite Survivor player of all time is Parvati, then Cirie, and Sandra. I love those ladies so much. You know what? As I'm saying this, I realized I don't really vibe with a lot of the guys, but all the badass Survivor playing ladies, I'm obsessed with them. The Black Widow Alliance, it was the fiercest thing. Cirie would tell you herself she is not on Survivor because she is good at the challenges, she's good because of her mind. The way that she's able to gather these hoes with just strategic mind play is so amazing. That's why she did so well in the first season of Traitors. She owned that castle, because she's just able to manipulate people with her words — chef’s kiss.

I think she would be a great cult leader.

Oh, for sure. I'm joining. I'm praying. I'm worshiping… I'm there.

Each subsequent season has really upped the ante on fashion, outdoing any of the international iterations. Do you have a favorite look from the past couple seasons, either your own or others?

Oh, what I was murdered in, I was so excited to go to the castle that day and wear my fabulous look. It was thrifted, and then my stylist, Taylor Orear got all these broaches that we put on it. It was so cunty, so fierce, and no one in that castle got to see it… well the world is seeing it now. But I think that is honestly my favorite The Traitors look. Also, Gabby Windey's final fire look last season — she could not move her hands at all, but you don't need to move your hands when you look that fierce.

There's something about the camp of the show that also elevates the fashion.

The fashion of The Traitors is so fun. To future The Traitors players: step it up! Every season gets fiercer and fiercer.

How was the process of selecting your wardrobe for Scotland with your team, especially with the time constraints of the production schedule?

So, I planned to only do drag on the first day and the last day. I didn’t care how long it would take me to get into drag, I wanted to enter the castle and leave the castle as my most fabulous, beautiful self. But the more time I would take to get into drag the less time I had for gameplay. And the gameplay is what I'm here for. I'm not here to always be my most fabulous drag self. I'm here to play the game. So that's why I didn't try or bother to do it every day, like that's going to take time for me in the castle. And also imagine doing those missions in full drag. my wig would be getting tangled. I could have been Johnny Weir, and fell in a lake. So let me just avoid drag in the castle during the game, but I wanted to enter and leave in drag.

I especially loved the corset, thrilling choice to tuck in the tie.

Oh, thank you. I appreciate that

The meta of the game has been altered a little bit this season with the introduction of the secret Traitor, who was chosen right as you all stepped onto the castle grounds. How did that change your strategy going forward?

That night, I was looking to see who changed and who shifted. And to be honest, even though Donna seemed a little different, I legit thought that it was Tiffany. Because more and more people were saying she's a really fierce game player, so she was one I needed to watch.

You are coming from an illustrious lineup of Drag Race alumni who have played this game, the third in a row now in the US iteration. Are there any other contestants from Drag Race that you would love to see play next, either as a Traitor or a faithful?

I would love to see Bianca Del Rio [play The Traitors.] I think Bianca would be great in the castle. I would be interested to see someone like Kim Chi play Traitor. We play a lot of these strategy games together, and I know how good Kim is at Blood on the Clock Tower, and all these other games.

The format of these shows tends to bring out contestant’s unconscious biases and their insecurities. We've seen that in season two with Trishelle, and now with Michael Rapaport's behavior at the round table. Did you notice this echo chamber and did it affect your decision making?

I think in games like this, we would be silly to not acknowledge that biases exist. We all grew up in this world. We all exist. We don't exist in the vacuum. The world is affecting all of us. So when we are in games like this… I mean, we saw it in plain sight with Michael Rapaport, what he revealed was that this was your logic as to why you thought this person was a bad person, because he is a queer man that came out late in life. That is something that existed in his brain throughout the game. He was like, no, I think you're a Traitor because of X, Y, Z. So I think that ignoring that these things exist is a problem, we just have to acknowledge it. And when people are in games like this, you may be saying someone's name because of biases that exist within your worldview. I think the step to solving it is being real about it.

Is there anyone that you particularly want to win the game and take the money?

Oh my god, Natalie Anderson. I love Natalie so much. I want her to win this show so bad. She's such an amazing faithful and she plays so hard. So I'm heavy, heavy, heavy on Natalie. I hope Lisa and Candiace lose. As a matter of fact, I hope they go home next, because as we see, the Housewives are untrustworthy people and they need to be stopped. Hunt the housewives, take them down every time you see 'em.

So we won't be expecting a BravoCon appearance then?

Yeah, do not expect me at BravoCon. You won't see me there. I'll go to Dubai though. I'll go see Caroline in Dubai, but I will not be at BravoCon with Lisa or Candiace.

Speaking of Natalie, that was someone that we saw you early on strike a chord with and really connect to.

Yeah, for sure. Natalie, I believed, was a hundred percent faithful. She felt the same for me. And it's so crazy the audience watching it knows. I was someone who used to watch from my couch at home and be like Ugh, these idiots. But when you are immersed in it for real, it feels surreal. So when you find an ally, someone who in your intuition and heart you believe is trustworthy, you have to go with that, or else you're working with nothing and then you have nothing. And so as we see, Natalie was a good choice, and it was really awful to go with Candicae. So yeah, it’s the luck of the draw.

You win some, you lose some, that's just the game. I saw that during your eulogy after breakfast the next morning, Colton had said that you were the best dressed, but then Lisa quickly responded saying that you were one of the best dressed. Is that something that you think that will need to be addressed at the reunion?

Absolutely. I have a lot to say about Lisa Rinna's fashion. You know what I mean? She does a good job and sometimes she hits, sometimes she misses, like we all do. But let's be very clear Lisa Rinna, I am the best dressed in the house. And you know what? We'll go toe to toe at the reunion. We'll stand side by side. We'll ask the audience! Let's see what the audience says about our reunion looks, who they're jiving with. I'm curious, and I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Oh, I'm sure you're already planning your outfit for the reunion….

Absolutely. Honey. The Traitors season four reunion is giving Met Gala.

Hey, it's your first Andy Cohen hosted reunion.

I know! Make me a housewife, Andy. The Real Housewives of Burbank.

Monét, I would be remiss to not mention what's going down in the pipeline for you. I know that coming up in February, you're going on a new comedy tour, and then later this summer you're going to be seen in theatres with Stop! That! Train!

I'm so grateful that ever since Drag Race, I haven't really stopped working. I love to work, I'm a workhorse. And my standup comedy tour, High Heels, Bad Knees, is so funny. I've been doing standup for the past five years now, and it's the best material I have ever done so far. I'm recording a comedy special this year as well, and the sky's the limit. I just love just being on stage with myself, a microphone and a bottle of water and letting the audience have some bend-over knee-slapping comedy. That's what I love. That goes back to my roots in New York City just being, hosting all these shows, and now I get to relive that and dial it back a little bit.

We ain't doing splits and cartwheels and back flips and running home with the Icy Hot. No, I'm just being my authentic, comedic, hilarious self, and it's nice to see people responding to that. So yeah, Stop! That! Train!... we filmed that in December, but I am just one of the celebrity guest appearances. There’s like thirty five celebrity cameos in there, and I'm one of them. And it was fun to see Mother Paul playing her character, President Gagwell, and having my moment with her. Anytime I get to do anything with RuPaul, I'm down. Before signing my contract, I asked if my scene was with RuPaul. I don’t want to be in no scene with Jujubee and Ginger Minj, please!

We're not here for scraps.

Exactly.

Photography by Lindsey Ruth

Stylist: Patrick Minor
Hair: Tyler Funicelli
Gloves: weisheng paris
Dress: Michelle for Bad Girls