Krishel Stowes isn’t exactly liking Tom Sandoval’s approach to his “traitor” game.
Sandoval made headlines with his mistakes during Season 3 traitorspecifically naming Stowes as a possible traitor—a move that Kerschel found ludicrous.
“I thought it was funny,” Kerschel, 43, said We weekly Regarding Sandoval’s hasty accusation.
“I felt like all the people and all the minds at this table, do we really think that Sandoval solved the puzzle 0.5 seconds after he left the room? No.”
Sandoval’s decision to name Kerschel caused an immediate backlash, as he noted that it benefited him.
“I felt he was very loud and very wrong. It really felt like he said it. [the Traitor] Yes, we probably know it isn’t. So I think it has helped me to be honest in my case,” he added.
Tensions between the two escalated during the first roundtable banishment meeting, where Kirschel accused Sandoval of targeting him because of his closeness with his ex-girlfriend, Ariana Maddux.
“He’s terrible. [at playing the game]. To be honest with you, he had no other reason to name me,” she said.
“He just said so clearly that he knew I was a traitor. Of course, he’s going to act like, ‘Oh, I was really just playing the game.’ To me it felt personal and you might not change your mind at that point.
Kirschel clarified that despite Sandoval’s controversial past, he did not seek Ariana’s advice before the show, including his public split from Ariana in 2023 after an affair.
Rumors of a feud between Sandoval and Kirschel surfaced in November 2024 when he specifically excluded her from promotional photos.
Explaining his strategy, Kirschel said, “It was to make friends and put them down. You really don’t want to edit that much in the beginning. My name was being brought up at the first round table. I went in with the best of intentions and I had to throw that game plan away.
Kirschel admitted that Sandoval’s actions forced him to change his perspective.
“I had to go with what I could, which was really to defend myself and make sure people felt I was a loyalist,” he explained.
“But then if you did really well, you’d be ready for the kill. So I knew I had to get a shield and then I had to defend myself at the Round Table. [after Sandoval named me]My game plan was shot down.