Why Traitors’ Trishelle Cannatella Has ‘Respect’ for MJ Javid Blocking Her

Trishelle Cannatella is blocked by her The Traitors costar Mercedes “MJ” Javid — and she revealed to Us Weekly how she really feels about the drama.

“I’m so sad about it, honestly, because I thought she was cool and I can’t believe it,” Trishelle, 44, exclusively told Us at the show’s Castle Garden pop-up at The Grove in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 8. “But you know what? I gotta kind of respect somebody who sticks to their word and can hold a grudge that long. I kind of have odd respect for you.”

Trishelle and fellow finalist Chris “CT” Tamburello pulled off an epic blindside on MJ, 51, during the season 2 finale before Trishelle was voted the sole winner. The trio’s drama came to a head during the cast reunion.

“MJ was pissed. I did not expect that,” Trishelle recalled during Saturday’s public reunion panel ahead of her interview with Us. “She blocked me on Instagram. I’m still blocked by the way. She was so pissed. I was shocked by how pissed some people were still.”

Trishelle, meanwhile, has no beef with MJ.

“There’s no bad blood with anyone for me because it’s a game,” Trishelle told Us. “With The Challenge, I come from a very dirty background when it comes to backstabbing and things like that. I’m used to it, but I do understand that people, like [on] Housewives and Shahs and shows like that, [they] don’t really have the cutthroat mentality.”

She continued, “They were a little bit shocked by some of the moves that CT and I were able to make and I do understand that.”

MJ, who rose to fame on Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset, has not further addressed the dramatic gameplay while Trishelle is currently basking in her Traitors victory.

“Actually, I still haven’t spent [my prize],” she said on Saturday. “I’m thinking about where I’m going to invest it in. I’m not exactly sure yet what I’m gonna do with it.”

While Trishelle and MJ’s time in the castle has come to an end, a new group of Traitors and Faithfuls is rising for season 3. The new cast includes Chrishell Stause, Gabby Windey, Lord Ivan Mountbatten, Ciara Miller and more.

“I wanted Paige [DeSorbo] and Craig [Conover on season 3],” Trishelle said of her casting wishlist. “Y’all, Craig and his conspiracy theories would be so good [on] The Traitors. He is a conspiracy theorist. That is what you want at the roundtable!”

Trishelle, a Bravo superfan, added: “And Paige, her outfits? Like, you guys, this is a no-brainer to me. Why are they not there? I wish that there was a couple on there. Marcus [Jordan] and Larsa [Pippen] were fun to have around [on my season]. She would have murdered him in a heartbeat if she was a Traitor, [which] would have been hysterical.”

The Traitors seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Peacock.

With reporting by Mike Vulpo