Tom Sandoval Accused Of Sabotage As “The Traitors” Kicks Off

Reality TV sparks always seem to fly, and The Traitors season 3 premiere was no exception. Chrishell Stause and Tom Sandoval brought major drama to the Scottish Highlands, with their tense interactions leaving fans buzzing. From the get-go, it seemed like Tom was already targeting Chrishell, and she wasn’t afraid to call him out.

As the cast first walked out to start the game, Dylan Efron told Chrishell, “Right when we first walked out, Tom mentioned you. It was like, five steps out of there.” Chrishell, 43, suspected the reason immediately. “Do you think it’s because I’m friends with Ariana and he knows that?” she asked, referring to Tom’s ex, Ariana Madix. Nikki Garcia, 41, quickly chimed in, “That’s so not cool. That is sabotage.”

In her confessional, Chrishell didn’t hold back. “Tom is already throwing my name out. First of all, who plays like that? Second of all, I know Tom has a bias against me because I am friends with his ex. Knowing what he did to Ariana, I have an opinion of him already. If the ship’s burning, he’s coming down with me.”

The tension carried into the show’s first mission. While contestants paddled rowboats to gather prize money for the pot, drama brewed in the background. Contestants like Real Housewives Chanel Ayan, Dorinda Medley, and Dolores Catania volunteered to stay behind, as did Sam Asghari and Bob the Drag Queen. The mission wrapped with the team securing $20,000, but the drama was far from over.

By episode two, things escalated. Tom called out Chrishell at the roundtable, accusing her of “acting very strange.” Chrishell, however, wasn’t having it. “I told you, before we ever hit the roundtable, that I’m friends with your ex,” she said. “We had a cool conversation, and you were like, ‘Let’s not make that awkward.’ But here we are.”

Chrishell’s vote for Tom came with a biting reason. “The Traitors have to be able to lie, cheat, and deceive easily. And since I know you possess all of those skills, I voted for you.”

Meanwhile, alliances were forming. Chrishell, Nikki, and former Bachelorette Gabby Windey created the “Bambis,” a trio bonded over their big eyes and shared suspicions. Together, they deemed Survivor’s Tony Vlachos a Traitor, leading to his banishment in episode three.

Tom’s antics didn’t stop there. Nikki even teased him for his “creepy watching.” Tom’s defense? “That’s just my face.” But he didn’t shy away from stirring the pot, suggesting to new players that Chrishell might be a Traitor. “Other people clocked Chrishell as well,” he added.

After filming wrapped, the feud seemed far from over. In November, Chrishell posted cast photos on Instagram but conspicuously blocked out Tom’s image. Fans speculated about the obvious snub, assuming bad blood was to blame.

Host Alan Cumming kept the twists coming, introducing Wes Bergmann and Derrick Levasseur into the game as Faithfuls. While the newbies were immune from murder and couldn’t vote at their first banishment, they added even more layers to the game.