Chrishell Stause Spills Juicy Details on Tom Sandoval’s Bold Moves in ‘Traitors’

Chrishell Stause isn’t holding back when it comes to Tom Sandoval’s gameplay on season 3 of The Traitors. Sandoval stirred controversy when he quickly accused Stause of being a Traitor—a move she found absurd and poorly thought out.

“I thought it was ridiculous,” Stause, 43, told Us Weekly about Sandoval’s hasty accusation. “I just felt like of all the people and all the minds at this table, do we really think Sandoval solved the puzzle in 0.5 seconds of leaving the room? No.”

Sandoval’s impulsive decision immediately backfired, as Stause noted it inadvertently helped her case. “I felt like he was so loud and so wrong. It really felt like whoever he says [the Traitor] is, we probably know it isn’t. So I think it helped in my case, to be honest,” she explained.

Tensions between the two escalated during the first roundtable banishment meeting, where Stause accused Sandoval of targeting her due to her past support for his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Madix. “He’s terrible [at playing the game].

To be honest with you, there was no other reason for him saying my name,” Stause said. “He just said it so blatantly that he knew I was a Traitor. Of course, he’s going to act like, ‘Oh, I really was just playing the game.’ To me, it felt personal and you probably can’t change your mind at this point.”

Stause also clarified that she did not consult Ariana before participating in the show, despite Sandoval’s controversial breakup with Madix in 2023 following an affair. Speculation about a feud between Sandoval and Stause began in November 2024 when Stause notably excluded him from promotional photos.

Discussing her gameplay, Stause shared her original strategy: “It was to make friends and lay low. You don’t want to really even make the edit that much in the beginning. My name was being brought up at the very first roundtable. I went in with the best of intentions and had to throw that game plan away.”

Sandoval’s accusations forced Stause to pivot her approach. “I had to go with what I could, which was to really defend myself and make sure people felt like I was a Faithful,” she explained. “But then if you do too good of a job, you’ll be up for murder.

So I knew I had to get a shield and then I had to defend myself at the roundtable. At that point in time [after Sandoval named me], my game plan was shot.” Despite the challenges, Stause’s resilience and quick thinking helped her navigate the drama-filled season.