Best friends Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir arrived on the set of hit Peacock reality show The Traitors, and they weren't about to let anyone know it. Tara and Johnny were afraid to be too close to each other too often, or to even make eye contact too often, in case it made them suspect. The strategy was pure gold—at least at first.
When you're competing on a game show built on deception, keeping a 20-year friendship under wraps sounds impossible. But they relied on barely-there cues to share intel. "We had many moments we stole away together, though, that no one saw," Tara said. "To quickly speak and plot or sneak in a hug. We also had eye movements we would do at the round table to communicate." Talk about professional-level subtlety.
Their bond runs so deep that "We know each other so well that a tap of the hand or a facial expression is quickly understood," Lipinski said of her bond with Weir. "At this point, we are telepathic!" But here's the thing—many of the former Olympic figure skater's costars on season four have been mispronouncing her name—referring to her as TAIR-uh as opposed to the accurate TAH-rah—despite her best efforts to correct them. At least Johnny got that part right.
Both Lipinski and Weir are on the call for the figure skating slate at the 2026 Winter Olympics, making them recognizable faces heading into Traitors. The two former Olympians-turned-analysts have become fan favorites for their sweetness, silliness, and a disarming brand of sportsmanship. Instead of playing cutthroat, rather than leaning into ruthless tactics, they've become fan favorites, and their most potent weapon has been empathy. In a game where backstabbing usually wins, Weir and Lipinski have already reframed what success can look like on The Traitors: a showcase for loyalty, laughter, and a little glitter.