The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams made waves in the first batch of episodes of Season 4 of The Traitors on Peacock, but for fans, the excitement was short-lived. She was the first contestant banished from the game after a few slips of the tongue.
In an exit interview with Blavity’s Shadow and Act, Williams got candid about her short time in the castle, the drama that led to her early exit, and the betrayal she didn’t see coming.
First off, how do you feel now seeing the reaction to your time on The Traitors? And how did you feel being the first one banished, especially since so many people were excited to see you and your time was cut short? Overall, how do you feel about your tenure on the show?
I feel cheated. I really do. The fans feel cheated, too. There was a missed opportunity there. I had so much greatness I was going to bring, and so did some of my partners on the show. I’ve definitely been in my feelings about it ever since.
I was super excited to be there, and to see how it all played out — I wasn’t ready for how dirty it got. I’ve watched other seasons, and I feel like the lies and setups usually come later on. But I think they knew I was a strong player, so they pulled out all the stops early. It took multiple angles to get me out.
It was so interesting because all the receipts that everyone was laying out during the roundtable — they made sense in theory, but none of them really applied to your game [laughs]. So, how did you feel even going into the roundtable?
I had no concerns going in. I honestly didn’t think the radar was on me at all. That first moment where I said, “I killed Ian,” it was really just my accent. I said “ga,” but I think it sounded like “I” to people who don’t know how I talk. Then, the second time, what y’all didn’t see was I said, “We killed Ian,” while I was strategizing out loud — putting myself in the mindset of a Traitor, thinking through why they’d take him out since he was such a strong player.
[They] twisted that at the roundtable. And Michael [Rapaport]? He’s loyal to nothing but his dirty socks. Mama Donna [Kelce] was just trying to get the heat off herself. And Candiace [Dillard Bassett] — she flat-out lied. She claimed Michael said something about putting all the housewives in a grave, and she knew I’d ask him about it. That was a setup. I didn’t expect that from her. She’s a fellow housewife. Lisa is, too. I thought we were supposed to stick together, so that if anything happens, you’ve got someone to lean on. I didn’t get that.
What do you think was your biggest — I don’t necessarily want to say mistake, but for lack of a better term — your biggest mistake in the game? And do you feel betrayed ultimately by Candiace?
Yes, absolutely, I feel betrayed. Candiace said, verbatim, “Michael was in the boat,” and he said something about “putting it in a housewife grave.” She said that. And when I brought it up, she twisted it. Then in her interview, she admitted she was just trying to shine light on Michael. So she used me — early in the game — to do that.
That’s not how this game is usually played, especially not in the beginning. Maybe later, when it’s your life or someone else’s. But she’s a Traitor. For her to set me up like that, then act like she had my back at the roundtable? That’s not what housewives do. If you watch, the gamers stuck together. Why? Because eventually everyone’s going to be accused. You want someone who can vouch for you — someone you have camaraderie with. Us housewives were supposed to have that sisterhood. I underestimated just how cutthroat some of them would be. That was my mistake.
What’s one thing you think you would’ve done differently about your start in the game, if anything?
I liked that I was aggressive. I was rallying the Faithfuls, I was strategizing — that’s the kind of player I wanted to be. But I think maybe I would’ve buried the lead a little more. Held that back until later. And I definitely shouldn’t have trusted so quickly. I trusted Michael early on because he’s a big Housewives fan. I thought I had a built-in ally. I was wrong.
That said, I’m still proud. I left with my head held high. I called the game out for what it was. I knew who the Traitors were, and I said it. I didn’t have inside info — I just figured it out. If I ever get the chance again, maybe I’ll keep that part to myself.
Do you think, had things worked out, you would’ve been a good “aggressive Faithful”? Or do you think there’s a world where you may have been a better Traitor instead?
I’m a Cancer, so I read people really well. Being a Faithful made sense for me. I’m a fighter — I was standing up for the housewives, for the Faithfuls. That’s who I am. But listen, I was hoping to be flipped. I would’ve loved to start as a Faithful and get flipped into a Traitor later on — maybe by another housewife. I really wanted that. I wanted to kill at night. I wanted to get deceptive. Who doesn’t, once you have enemies? I didn’t get that chance, and I hate that for me and for the fans. I was really looking forward to it.
And out of the people you talked to — outside of the people you knew coming in — was there anyone you’d say you developed a connection or friendship with during your short time in the game that you didn’t expect?
I really enjoyed Chef [Kristen Kish]. And I liked Ian [Terry] — even though he was the first one out, I thought he was great.
I thought I was building something with Candiace, too. That was what made it so weird. Like, what happened?
I loved Dorinda [Medley]. She was so sweet. Caroline [Stanbury], too. I didn’t expect to want to make friends because I thought I was going to be made a Traitor — I even said it in my interviews. But when I found out I was a faithful, I was like, “OK, I can be nice to everybody.” And I did. I ended up bonding with most of the people there.
The Traitors airs weekly on Thursdays on Peacock.