Jake Shane's Unexpected Role in Rob Rausch's Birkin Surprise for Maura Higgins

Rob Rausch, the 27-year-old winner of The Traitors Season 4, fulfilled his promise to buy co-star Maura Higgins a Hermès Birkin bag on Watch What Happens Live, capping off a multi-platform saga involving Lisa Rinna, podcast host Jake Shane, and a live audience poll that broke the internet.

Rausch won $220,800 on The Traitors Season 4 by playing as a Traitor. He was a Traitor alongside Rinna and Candiace Dillard Bassett, and he later recruited Eric Nam to be a Traitor after both women were banished from the castle. Donna Kelce was also a secret Traitor.

The moment that set this whole story in motion happened between Rausch and Higgins. On the show, Rausch broke a “pinky promise” to Higgins that they’d win The Traitors together, after he revealed his true identity as a Traitor on the Season 4 finale, to her utter shock.

The betrayal was dramatic. The fallout was even more dramatic.

At the reunion, Higgins laid out her terms for reconciliation: she’d forgive her fellow Love Island alum if he bought her a Hermès Birkin.

When Rausch was photographed stepping out after buying the handbag, he was spotted with Therapuss podcast host Jake Shane. People had questions about why the influencer was tagging along on a luxury shopping run with a reality TV winner.

Rinna had the answer.

“Let’s talk about the Birkin bag!” Rinna, 62, said via TikTok on Sunday, March 8. “I’m so excited about the bag. I’m so excited that we got to come full circle,” the reality star said. “You can see how happy Maura is.”

According to Rinna’s TikTok, Rob reached out to her and wrote “important” to get her attention. Jake and Rob then FaceTimed Lisa to help them get the Birkin.

“So they’re doing the podcast, and they tell me that Jake is gonna go with Rob to get the Birkin. Cause he should have a gay with him,” Lisa explained in the video.

Rob filmed an episode of Therapuss — set to be released on Wednesday, March 12 — and then took Jake along to secure the bag as he needed another opinion. A Birkin is not a casual purchase, and bringing along a trusted voice from the podcast universe was part of the game plan.

Rinna explained that “of course” she helped Rausch buy the Hermès bag, which customers can only acquire if they have a relationship with a sales associate and spend a significant amount of money on other products. “I said I would, and we did it. We got it for her.”

“It was so fun helping Rob. My friends Isaac Boots and Jeffery helped with that connection because they had the connection in New York, so we were able to make that happen quickly,” Rinna explained. She noted that they would have otherwise had to travel to Paris to get the bag that is estimated to cost between $16,000 and $22,000. “It would have taken a bit longer.”

So the chain of events: Rob texts Lisa “important,” FaceTimes her with Jake Shane, records a Therapuss episode, then takes Jake along to pick up a Birkin that Lisa’s friends helped connect him to in New York.

The actual Birkin reveal happened on the March 4 episode of Watch What Happens Live.

Before the big moment, host Andy Cohen polled the audience on whether getting a Birkin bag is enough to forgive someone — 90 percent voted yes. The audience essentially said a luxury handbag is a perfectly acceptable apology for emotional betrayal on national television.

After the poll, Rausch delivered on Higgins’ request, putting on gloves and grabbing the iconic orange Hermès box from behind the bar. He kept his gloves on, telling Higgins, “Only the owner’s supposed to touch it first.”

Rausch presented her with a burgundy Togo Birkin bag in a size 30 with gold hardware, which retails for $16,000.

When Cohen asked if there wasn’t a chance she wouldn’t like the bag, Higgins informed him, “No, he knows what bag I want.”

Higgins was thrilled. “See this is my win,” she said. “I knew I’d have my moment.” She posed with the bag before jumping up to hug Rausch and shout, “You’re forgiven.”

The Therapuss episode featuring Rob is set to drop on Wednesday, March 12. The podcast taping is apparently where the entire Birkin shopping trip was hatched, so it could offer more behind-the-scenes details about how the whole operation came together.