Swifties rush to defend Donna Kelce after ‘traitors’

The first three episodes of Season 4 of Peacock’s hit reality series, “The Traitors,” delivered epic climaxes and shocking twists. Yet nothing seemed more important than the presence of Donna Kelce and the global fan base attached to his famous family. Throughout the premiere, cast members openly joked that they were walking on eggshells in the presence of Taylor Swift’s future mother-in-law, fearing public wrath. Swifties if they targeted her. However, it wasn’t the casting that finally reached into the bag with “America’s Mom,” it was the producers. After a controversial twist led to Kelce’s banishment in Episode 3, the backlash the cast feared arrived, but they’re not the ones being attacked.

At the start of the first episode, host Alan Cumming told the cameras that the twists and turns began immediately, paving the way for what many fans are now calling a “set-up.”

“This game is full of surprises,” Cumming said. “I am about to choose my very first traitor here and now. Players, 23 chests lie before you – one [for] each [of you]. Inside your coffers, 22 of you will see nothing and will remain Faithful for now. But a player will see the Traitor card, and a life of intrigue and sabotage will begin as he becomes my first traitor.

However, it was revealed during episode 3 that Kelce was the secret traitor after being rejected by her castmates. “It’s a dream come true,” she told producers. “Those are tears of joy that I can do at this point in my life. It’s just the joy of being in the game.”

While producers were likely hoping to capitalize on the “Swiftie effect” by centering a major plot twist around Kelce, that decision backfired spectacularly after the group spotted her almost instantly, robbing fans of the chance to see her play the long game.

Despite Kelce’s previous statement that he was grateful to be able to play the game, some social media users (and alleged Swifties) were unhappy with how things turned out.

“If you want to make DONNA KELCE a traitor, then do it all the way,” one user wrote. “We didn’t get to see her being a traitor before she was banished.”

They added: “And if you want to make someone a secret traitor, they’ll be a player.” [because] they will know what to do with it. She didn’t.”

Another user wrote: “Making Donna the secret traitor was a quiet failure, like she has no idea how to play this game.”

The disappointed comments didn’t stop there, as one user shared on X that they weren’t trying to “be a crazy Swiftie” before questioning why Kelce was targeted in the first place. “She came there by herself and is doing her best,” they wrote.

“I don’t even like Donna that much, but making her the secret traitor when she didn’t want to be and not even giving her the identities of the other traitors? That’s just not fair,” shared another.

Unlike Kelce, who was left to fend for herself, the remaining traitors were chosen in the traditional manner at the roundtable. Cumming went around the room to choose the trio, which turned out to be Lisa Rinna from “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,” Candiace Dillard-Bassett from “The Real Housewives of Potomac” and Rob R. from “Love Island.”