Why Did Deontay Wilder Quit 'The Traitors'?

Deontay Wilder

The Traitors is not a show that keeps its cast around for long. With a murder and a banishment each episode, the pool of contestants dwindles at an alarming rate. However, in Episode 4 of Season 2 of The Traitors, an unexpected casualty was named. Deontay Wilder, the professional boxer, had quit the game after the previous night's Round Table and wouldn't be returning to the game. When his fellow contestants arrived to breakfast the next morning, his portrait was marked with a red "X" like that of his fallen comrades and the game moved forward with nary a mention of his disappearance. So what happened to the well-dressed boxer and why was he TKO'd? Here's everything we know:

Why did Deontay Wilder quit The Traitors?

Deontay has seemed like a fairly emotional player since the jump, but that all came to a head at the end of Episode 3 when he rallied other contestants to banish Dancing with the Stars alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy at the second Round Table. Deontay was absolutely positive that Maks was a Traitor and when Maks revealed himself to be a Faithful, it seemed to crack Deontay. Deontay was seen laying on a couch after the Round Table and said, "I don't know how much more I can go on. My heart. I can't do this no more." During the beginning of Episode 4, host Alan Cumming then revealed in a voice over that Deontay had opted to quit the game. It would appear that the emotions of the game just were too much for the boxer and he opted to quit rather than potentially vote out another Faithful.

Related: Meet the Full Cast of 'The Traitors' Season 2

How does Deontay's quitting impact the game?

So far Deontay's exit hasn't impacted the game at all, aside from there being one less Faithful in the mix. In the recently released trailer we see that Kate Chastain from Season 1 will be returning. Perhaps she was flown in to replace Deontay on the cast, although there are other ways production could have evened out the numbers if they needed to. Most reality competition shows have some buffers built into the game in case someone quits.

Related: Who Are the Traitors on 'The Traitors' Season 2?

Has anyone ever quit The Traitors before?

Actually, yes. While Peacock's US version of The Traitors is only four episodes into its second season, there have actually already been three quits. Prior to Deontay, in Season 1 of The Traitors, Amanda made an unexpected exit, although she later revealed it was due to testing positive for COVID (and not technically quitting). In the finale of Season 1, Arie Luyendyk Jr. of The Bachelor quit the show, revealing that he was a Traitor, knowing that the other three finalists needed the money more than he did. Deontay, however, is the first person to quit the show due to being overwhelmed.

Next, Everything You Need to Know About 'The Traitors' Season 2