Chatter has swirled that Maura and Rob, both from the Love Island universe, are more than friends, despite repeatedly denying that anything has happened between them.

Rob Rausch, a man with a cowboy hat and denim overalls, with arms tied to a wooden structure, is being touched by Maura Higgins who is wearing a denim jacket and black cowboy hat.
The Traitors’ Maura Higgins choked Rob Rausch and set him on fire in a new music videoCredit: YouTube/Eric Nam
 

Maura Higgins in a denim jacket and cowboy hat with a desert landscape background.
Maura’s behavior fueled romance rumors between her and Rob, despite the pair repeatedly denying that they’re involvedCredit: YouTube/Eric Nam
Fans are even more convinced of a budding romance after Maura choked Rob and stripped him down in the music video for K-Pop singer Eric Nam‘s new track, How the Fire Started.

In the Western-themed video released Tuesday, featuring several other Season 4 castmates from The Traitors, the group bands together to take down Rob after he holds them captive at his ranch.

Eric first confronts fellow traitor Rob with a rope to capture the hunky cowboy and tie him to a wooden cross.

Maura, Yam Yam, Natalie Anderson, and Ron Funches then join in on torturing Rob, although Maura appears to do much of the punishing, as she wraps her hands around his neck to choke him.

 The Traitors’ very private star Rob Rausch reveals he has a girlfriend

She then douses him in gasoline and cuts off his signature overalls, leaving him donning just underwear and a cowboy hat, exposing his rock-hard abs.

In the end, Ron rushes to Rob’s aid and saves him from the brutal attack.

The video parodied the latest season of The Traitors, in which Rob betrayed Eric and the faithfuls to win the game and the $220,800 prize money.

No one was more shocked when Rob revealed himself as a traitor than Maura, who had formed a close bond with the Alabama snake wrangler – so close that fans and their co-stars suspected they were romantically linked.

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Both Rob and Maura have denied ever hooking up and insisted that their friendship is strictly platonic, which they doubled down on during last week’s reunion special.

When host Andy Cohen pointed out their obvious chemistry, they admitted to having a flirty relationship but remained firm that things had never progressed beyond that.

In fact, Rob revealed he had recently started seeing someone but wouldn’t divulge any further details about her identity.

The Peacock star teased his new love interest in an Instagram Story post over the weekend, sharing a photo from their museum date.

Meanwhile, Maura revealed she is single and has been celibate for a year after several toxic relationships.

It appears Rob may have lifted her spirits by gifting her a $10,000 Birkin bag, which he’d promised to make up for his betrayal on the show.

That might be Rob’s last public grand gesture, as he recently told Interview that he plans to quit reality TV.

The Love Island USA star admitted fame is “not great” for his mental health, and he’s eager to return to a normal routine away from cameras.

“I haven’t been to the gym. I haven’t been in a routine. And that’s not a life I really want. I don’t know if TV is good for me,” Rob said.

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“But then another part of me is like, ‘Rob, just stick it out. Do this for five years, then you can settle down’. But it’s like, when does that end?”

Perhaps Rob will end his run in the ballroom, as The U.S. Sun exclusively revealed he’s being considered for next season of Dancing with the Stars, though nothing has been finalized.

Maura Higgins with a stunned expression, wearing a black beret and shiny black outfit.
Maura was stunned when she learned of Rob’s betrayal on the latest season of The TraitorsCredit: Peacock
 

Rob Rausch, a man with arm tattoos and wearing overalls, looks at Maura Higgins in a candlit room.
Rob won Season 4 of The Traitors and the $220,800 prize moneyCredit: Peacock
 

Maura Higgins smiling on the set of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen.
Both Rob and Maura have insisted that their friendship is strictly platonic and was never anything moreCredit: Getty