‘Traitors’ Star Tomica Adams Reacts to Being the Target of Victor’s Fruit Obsession

Fruitgate finally claimed a victim. Unfortunately, for Tomica Adams, she was that victim.

Tomica was banned in this week’s episode The traitors: new blood after a surprising series of events in which Victor Volbrechthausen was banished, then saved by the wielder of the Power of Forgiveness, Shane Beatty. Since no one was banned, host Alan Cumming then forced the participants back to the roundtable the next morning, and this time the table followed Victor’s lead and banned Tomica by a vote of 10 to 2. Even traitors Joe Vanella and Katie Fites piled up their votes.

Would Tomica have wanted to murder Victor to get him out of his affair? How does she feel about Joe and Katie turning on her? Did she really mix up Katie and Kriste’s names? And how does she think she would have done in the game if there hadn’t been a murder in plain sight? We asked the banished traitor all this and more, and now you can watch or read the full interview below.

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Let’s just ask the question straight: were you knocked out of this game by a fruit?

TOMICA ADAMS: I was definitely taken out of this game by a piece of fruit. End of story. No questions asked. Was it the right fruit? No, but it was a fruit. Wow. 100%.

Why was Victor able to convince people to choose you between these last two round tables? Because he had tried it before and no one besides Wyatt had bought it. So why did it work this time?

He’d had several theories before, and they just didn’t make sense. And so he really wasn’t credible. So no one really listened to him. Clyde had a fruit allergy. It was so easy to distract people from Victor’s shenanigans that it was like he was loud and blowing into the wind. He didn’t land anywhere.

So after he was banished and he came back, it was like they believed he was a true worshiper because of the way he held himself in the circle. Whatever he did, he convinced people at that point, and it was like a 180-degree turnaround. The next day at the castle, it was like every room I entered, everyone was silent. I knew things were turning and the fight was happening because I could feel the energy shift, you know what I mean?

Back then, when Shane saved him through forgiveness, was there a part of you that thought that might be a good thing? Because the second Victor stands in the Circle of Truth and says, “I am a Faithful,” all the heat immediately goes to you.

You know, hindsight is 20/20. I probably should have killed him two (episodes ago), but I think he was really compelling at that point. So if he had said he was loyal, I felt like I had some leeway because I had alliances. But I would have preferred him to go away. I just wanted him to leave. You know what I mean? He was on my nerves. But it just didn’t work for me.

Did Victor drive you completely crazy in that castle?

It was crazy. It was crazy. And the crazy thing is, he doesn’t do that to Joe. So I started thinking, “Is this a woman’s thing?” You really start to… This is something I deal with in the industry. As a woman, you are treated a little differently, even in my industry. It’s like, “So you felt like you could do this and run behind me and do all this, but you don’t do it to Joe?” So yeah, it was really frustrating. Very frustrating.

Let’s say there’s no murder in sight or you just decide to let Joe handle it and keep your hands clean. Do these people sometimes take you for a traitor?

No way. I really appreciate all the people. They are great people. So it was easy to connect. Even moments before the fruit, I was connecting with Victor a little. And that fruit got me out, Dalton, got me out.

And it was the wrong fruit! He thought it was an orange. I didn’t touch an orange. And all I did was use Southern hospitality and say, “Does anyone want to take anything out of the refrigerator?” In fact, I was just going to make sure there were more apples because my Traitor friend ate one! So, you know, lo and behold, it happened the way it was supposed to happen.

If you had murdered Victor instead of Abby L, do you think anything would change, or are they using his murder to point the finger at you anyway?

No, I don’t think anything will change. I think in the end, if Victor was still here and strong enough, like I said on the show, one bad apple would spoil a lot of people. He ended up getting out. So it was just a matter of eliminating it early.

How did you feel when Joe and Katie turned on you at the end?

Well, honestly, like I said before, I knew my time was limited. I mean, it’s called Traitors. Eventually we will have to turn against each other. So it was just timing. I knew it had to happen because if they didn’t, their match was over. So I was kind of expecting it. And that’s how it happened, you know? And good luck to them. Glory. I want my traitors to win. So if they had to do it, they had to do it.

Did you have any indication that they would do this?

Of course, this is Katie’s second time doing it. So I knew Katie was going to do it. I was shocked by Joe and his comment to Victor at the table. That made me say, “Whoa.” I thought, “Well, that sealed the deal.” » Literally, if you look at me during the show, I’m like (makes a face) “Okay. Kiss of death, baby.” So that’s how it is. I knew at that moment that he was obviously going to write my name.

Yeah, he’s in self-preservation mode at this point.

He could have said anyone else, but he said, “Well, if it’s not you, it’s Tomica.” »

Was it an honest name mix-up between Kriste and Katie?

A 100% honest confusion. You have to remember that I’ve known these people for what, 10 days? And I’m literally not good with names. And so I said it, and right then and there I was like, “Is this the one?” But I try to be a loyalist and not a traitor and everything else. It’s a mentally stimulating game. So when it came out, I started thinking, “Oh, maybe that’s not the case…” And I should have said something, but then I was like, “Well, maybe I’ll just use it. Anyway, it’s about that time in the game.” So it was 100% slippage.

What happened in there that we didn’t get to see on TV?

Well. That’s my guy. I love Ben and I don’t feel like that was shown at all. But we had a lot of good conversations and I knew he would have supported me. And then Niyyah, I think it wasn’t really developed enough because she left too soon. I was so mad at Joe finding out she grabbed that apple.

What about someone like Clyde then, where we saw some of that relationship on screen? How difficult was it to bond with these people – and did you see how emotional it was – to know that you were lying to them every day?

Dude, all I did was text him last night, “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.” And we talk all the time, but it was like in that moment seeing how it hit him in the chest to hear me say that I was a traitor, oh my God, it was a lot.

I’m not a liar. I’m a very straight shooter. I’ll give it to you. So even at the beginning, when I told Alan that I wanted to be a traitor, I said, “It’s going to be hard for me because I’m used to telling it like it is and not holding anything back. I don’t even try to sugarcoat things half the time. It’s just the truth. You can choke on it if you need to.” But yes, it was very difficult to lie to their face. It was bad.

Did you regret it at all? Has there ever been a time when you thought, “God, I wish I’d asked to be faithful. It’s just too stressful.”

Absolutely not. The game is not called Faithfuls. Absolutely not. You must be a traitor. Continue here, you pray you are a traitor. Do you want to be a faithful one? I mean, I don’t know. Absolutely not.

Ultimately, what is more stressful: flying a plane or being a traitor?

To be a traitor. At least the machine is telling me the truth and I know how to correct it, I’ve followed the procedures, I have checklists, and you have someone with you, and you’re fighting for the same thing, which is a perfectly successful flight from takeoff to landing. And so, it works. Everything is systematic.

It’s on your guard every minute. It’s like you’re a cat and you’re like, “What is that? What is that? What is that? What is that?” It’s neurotic. You can’t sleep. You think about it all the time. I was exhausted by the time it arrived. After that funeral, I was exhausted. I was tired. It was hard. It’s a lot harder than the Internet where people keep saying, “Well, if I had…” Sure, buddy. Of course. Of course. It’s hard.

Want to stay up to date on all things Survivor? Dig Deep and Subscribe to Entertainment Weekly free weekly Survivor newsletter to receive all the latest news, interviews and commentary straight to your inbox.