Ron Funches had one hell of a time inside Alan Cumming’s drafty and dramatic castle in the Scottish Highlands on the fourth season of Peacock’s reality TV game show “The Traitors.” Now, the comedian and actor is sharing that part of what made the experience so difficult was something he didn’t fully understand about himself at the time: autism.
After the 42-year-old actor and comedian was ultimately banished from the game — that brings an amusing mix of celebrities, reality TV stars, and notables together in a castle to compete in challenges and survive against traitors trying to pick them all off in secret — following weeks of suspicion and isolation, viewers began discussing his behavior online, with many speculating he may be autistic, he has now confirmed that the internet was onto something.
“Well the internet told me I was autistic and was right,” the “Loot” star wrote on Instagram Stories, per E! News.
“You win this round. Still not gay. Yet,” he added, joking that the experience helped him discover more about himself “through some type of cruel trauma.”
The “Trolls” voice actor became a major focus of the season’s suspicion early on, and especially after the first banishment, when he helped lead the vote that sent “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Porsha Williams home. The twist? She was faithful, a fact the rest could not soon forget. While the season’s traitors largely remained undetected, Funches remained caught in the middle, frequently accused, isolated from others, and even forced to compete alone during a paired challenge.
By Thursday’s episode, several competitors admitted they weren’t fully convinced he was a traitor, but wanted to vote him out anyway in order to “rule it out.” In a candid Threads exchange on Thursday into Friday, Funches shared that the experience, which also gave him his first panic attack, led him to begin the process of seeking an official autism diagnosis.
“I honestly didn’t know I myself had Autism,” he wrote. “I thought I was just an ally and parent of an autistic child but the way I felt I wasn’t being comprehended or understood while I thought I was being direct… made [me] start the process of going to get a diagnosis.”
He noted he isn’t comfortable definitively calling himself autistic until the process is complete, but said the show made him reflect on his own communication style, particularly under intense pressure.
Funches also explained that he joined the show after watching Season 2, when pro boxer Deontay Wilder quit early under the stress of the game. At the time, Funches thought Wilder simply didn’t understand how the show worked.
“I know now I was the one who didn’t get it,” he admitted in the post. “It’s wild in there. You don’t even know what day it is half the time. No one watching truly understands—you have to play.”
While some fans have argued that he deserves an apology from fellow castmates at the reunion, Funches brushed that off, noting that if one hadn’t come by now, he isn’t interested. Still, he emphasized that the experience was not entirely negative. Funches, who has an autistic son, said the outcome has helped him better understand both himself and his child.
“If the end result from me being isolated and feeling misunderstood on The Traitors is that I understand myself and my son more I consider that a victory worth sharing,” he wrote.
And when one fan suggested they wanted him back in the castle next season, he did not hesitate to respond: “F— you.”
