‘The Traitors’ Star Ron Funches Shares Autism Diagnosis On Social Media
Ron Funches has entertained fans for years on various television shows through his affable comedy, and more recently as a member of the 4th season of “The Traitors,” but he recently traded the laughs for a more serious tone when sharing an update on his health.
Warning: This episode contains spoilers for the January 22 episode of “The Traitors.”
Ron Funches Shares An Update On The Speculation He Has Autism
Following the January 22 episode of the hit Peacock competition reality series in which he was eliminated, “The Traitors” star Ron Funches took to social media to address widespread assumption from certain fans of the show that he is autistic.
Per PEOPLE, in a post on his Instagram Stories, Funches wrote, “the internet told me I was autistic and was right." The actor continued, "You win this round. Still not gay. Yet. Thanks @thetraitorsus for helping me find out more about me through some type of cruel trauma."
Funches followed up that message with an additional request for kindness from viewers of the show who may be taking their passion for the game out on its celebrity contestants.
"Please be kind to others even if you're on a murder-based game show," the message read. “It's a game and you never know what people are dealing with or what they don't even know they are dealing with."
Funches Previously Revealed That His Son Is Autistic
In April 2022 to celebrate Autism Awareness Day, the “Loot” star opened up about his son Malcolm’s autism journey with a heartfelt Instagram post.
"Happy Autism Awareness Day! Thank you to my son who brought autism awareness into my life, and continually teaches me so much every day," he captioned the post. "If you have the means, please donate to @nextforautism. Their organization is working towards transforming the national landscape of services for people with autism."
Two years earlier, in 2020, Funches discussed his son while speaking on Conan O’Brien’s show.
"It's one of the most motivating things in my life because of him being mixed race and having autism … he doesn't follow directions as easily," Funches explained. "He doesn't respond to directions as quickly as some people would like, and I was always concerned that if he was in an altercation with a police officer that that could mean the end of his life."
He also shared his decision to hire a nanny for his son.
"It's not because he's not independent, he's very independent — it's a lot to do with my fear about what could happen with misunderstandings with others, especially people like the police, people with power," he said.
’The Traitors’ Is One Of The Most Talked About Shows Due To Dramatic Gameplay And Eliminations
Funches isn’t the only exit that has fans across social media posting their passionate reactions. The show’s current season has been a non-stop ride of emotions — specifically during the heated debates that occur in the turret eliminations.
Other fiery exits so far this season include: “Big Brother” star Tiffany Mitchell, actor (and highly controversial personality) Michael Rapport and the early elimination of “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Porsha Williams, which was spearheaded by Funches and set the countdown clock on his on time in the castle.
During His Time On The Show Funches Amassed Supporters And Critics
During the initial episodes of the season, Funches quickly became one of the fan favorites, but when he broke one of the unspoken rules, which has been the reason that other contestants were slammed by fans, by leading the charge to send home a “Housewife” early, his perception changed.
Many fans were not happy that he single-handedly and successfully convinced practically the entire cast to vote to send Williams home, including her fellow “Housewife” Lisa Rinna. As the dominating force in the game with five contestants in the cast, the “Housewives” are the most represented and with the most loyal fans.
Despite Funches attempts to correct his mistake when Williams revealed she was a Faithful, he became an instant target and alienated from the rest of the cast. However, there were still some on social media who believed that he was being treated unfairly.
Funches Was Unapologetic In How He Played The Game
As he was exiting the castle after receiving the most votes at the turret, Funches stood true to himself and how he played “The Traitors” game.
"This was very hard for me. I don't trust many people and I felt not trusted,” he began. “I understand this world is completely fake and that probably makes it hard to see someone real. I always spoke my truth no matter what, and that's why again, inside and outside of this game, I am truly Faithful."
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