The Netflix reboot of Queer Eye has garnered critical raves, fan love and, now, and Emmy nomination. It has also introduced the world to the wonderful Jonathan Van Ness. Jonathan, who was also nominated for Outstanding Short Form Variety series for his Funny or Die series Gay of Thrones, spoke with Time Out magazine quite openly about his struggle with depression following the death of his stepfather.
I was 25, and I was watching my stepdad pass away from cancer. I was in yoga every day, I was in therapy, and I got on and off medication the same year. When I got off of them, I quit cold turkey. It was, like, six months of psychotic depression. So, don’t do that. If you do decide to get off, definitely wean yourself off.
Jonathan also stressed the importance of self-care in the face of managing depression, adding, “the biggest thing about self-care is to be gentle with yourself and remember there’s no one way up that mountain.” You would probably never guess that Jonathan struggled with depression after seeing him perpetually bouncing around and being so deliriously exuberant on screen, but I’m so glad he shared his story. I’m sure it’s relatable to far too many people. Have I mentioned how much I love this guy?
Of course, since he is a style guru, Jonathan shared his daily routine (hitting the gym for yoga, cardio and weights), adding, “If I don’t work out in the morning, I will harm the s—t out of everybody—myself, you and the people trying to talk to me, honey.” He also shared my new favorite hair tip, loosely gathering your hair in a top know when you go to bed, because, “Your ends won’t get tangled, and your hair will get shinier.”
To celebrate the Fab Five gracing the cover of the magazine, Jonathan handed out copies (and compliments) to New Yorkers. I love that he had something sweet to say to everyone, I wonder how he’d handle my blue-hued hair, the result of a tragic dye job.
Congrats to Jonathan and the Fab Five for their Emmy nominations. Jonathan is definitely over the moon about the news, if this video below is any evidence. The next season of Queer Eye can’t come soon enough. We need these guys and their amazing positivity in our lives.
JVN's reaction to finding out #QueerEye AND #GayOfThrones scored Emmy noms this morning is too pure — and then there's Tan, Antoni, Karmo, and Bobby's reaction to his double nom 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/GnCVKJtTsw
— Jarett Wieselman (@JarettSays) July 12, 2018
If you, like me, can’t get enough of Jonathan, check out his podcast, Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness. It’s fantastic, and might help tide you over until QE comes back.
Photos: Getty Images, WENN.com
I strongly recommend JVN’s podcast Getting Curious! He’s a fun and nice host.
Very glad he’s getting acclaimed for Gay of thrones it’s incredibly funny.
Thank you!!! I went straight to spotify after reading your comment and downloaded as many as I could before leaving for work. ❤
I loooove his podcast. He sometimes talks a bit too fast for my understanding, but he makes me smile so much.
Thank you for the heads up! Searching on spotify now.
Watching them makes me have hope for this country. I love How supportive they are of each other as well. Following them on Instagram, you can see they are truly friends.
The cop episode had me bawling (I mean all of them did) but partially when the Dad made the Virgin sangria for his daughters (my heart) but mostly for the part at the end when the cops were watching the reveal with the fab five. Karamo was telling the cops that He didn’t really want to do this episode and had a hard time with cops and the one cop looks at him says “well yeah that’s understandable”. So pure. Sorry for the rambling, they are just joy personified.
that was an excellent episode, thanks for the reminder
I’ve been really struck by the conversations around toxic masculinity on Queer Eye. They never come right out (no pun intended!) and call it that in the academic sense, but at times the show can seem almost radical in the conversations they engage in with men about their feelings and emotions. And not with a we’re gay so we’re good at this and you’re straight so you’re not (I love the old one, but it did seem to have an us vs them subtext at times) but rather ALL men, regardless of their sexuality, and how they present gender identity, may struggle with the pressure to appear the strong man and never express emotion. I think the show will end up being really important for this generation because of that. Also I love them and they’re so sweet and wonderful and unironically positive. This show really impacted me when I was in a very down and cynical phase in my life. Basically I love them.
I am completely wowed by these men and the way they never make it about US versus THEM. They completely lift the veil of toxic masculinity as if it wasn’t there and go straight for the insecurities about the body, expected masculine behaviour etc. in straight men. Eye opening. There is more to unite us than separate us, for sure. As I’ve said before here, men suffer in silence issues that are close (if not the same) to women’s: bad skin, self-loathing, loneliness, fear of success (there was a whole episode about that in S2) etc…
That episode with the police, omg, that was hard to watch. In the beginning when they were getting pulled over I was watching Karamo, and his fear was palpable. I was so upset that they’d set it up that way.
I was glad that he was able to get his feelings out later, but that scene was so upsetting because of what I can’t even imagine his feelings of fear were. I had major tears in my eyes, and I never cry, it made me angry and sad.
Even though Karamo was able to talk this issue over with that same cop, it felt like it wasn’t enough. Not nearly enough for having to feel what he felt, in those moments, because of the things that happen in this country every day.
Tan addresses the being pulled over episode in a recent article. Apparently he and Karamo as the only two POC on the show flipped a shit and threatened to walk off they were so upset by it. I get that reality tv is somewhat scripted, and I think the producers should have clued them in. Everyone could have played it up a little more rather than being terrified. Or better idea they could have skipped the whole thing. It was the one moment in the entire show I really wasn’t happy with 🙁
aaah i love these guys so much – even their instagrams make me tear up!
Good luck and best wishes for Jonathan!! While I love Queer Eye, I can only watch it in small doses as it makes me cry buckets every time 🙂
I have been meaning to watch Queer Eye but haven’t gotten to it yet. Ya’ll have convinced me to bump it to the top of my list.
You will love it!
Allow me to suggest having a sh*tload of tissues nearby.
And be prepared to feel a strange, unusual emotion: hope in humanity.
Go for it!
Stop whatever you’re doing today. Nothing is more important than your soul being replenished by watching Queer Eye. It really is a great big ball of light in these dark times.
Thanks, all. Firing it up to watch later. I need some sort of escapism from the horrors of Trumplandia.
I’ve been down lately, summertime blues, and so I would have loved to have been a part of this. I’m sure it was so much fun
I want to nominate my husband for queer eye so badly just so I can meet them all and so that they will fix up my house!
You can be nominated yourself. S1E1 the nominee is a woman.
I suffered from depression for a couple of years before it was diagnosed as such. I spent roughly 6 months in treatment last year and was weaned off the medication in march 2018. I’m not surprised Jonathan is such a happy and exuberant person. Chances are, he was always this person before depression took over.
From my own personal experience, Depression sucks the personality out of you. You’re suddenly a ball of Anger, Anxiety, Sadness, etc. I got to a point where being happy was not the norm and I convinced myself that I was miserable because I WAS a miserable person. I was happy, or experienced happiness, in fleeting moments. I forgot about the things I loved, like singing, art, going out, etc. I had no energy for self-care and that reflected in my appearance, my lack of makeup (I LOVE makeup) and the state of my apartment and even my car.
Meds gave me the strength to move forward to stability and my real self. Therapy is crucial because meds can rebalance the chemistry in your brain, but it cannot fix the problems you may have. I have continued therapy because I’m scared of falling again, so I’m working on my feelings, the things that give me anxiety and the fears I have. It’s a long road to recovery and it can be shameful, the way some people treat you and your illness. Just because you can’t see it it doesn’t mean it isn’t debilitating.
“You would probably never guess that Jonathan struggled with depression after seeing him perpetually bouncing around and being so deliriously exuberant on screen, but I’m so glad he shared his story.”
I can’t stress this enough: Please understand that depression doesn’t look like someone walking around crying all the time. As someone who has struggled with depression since the age of 5, I can tell you that I don’t show my depression to anyone. I keep it to myself and when I am overcome by my depression, I tend to withdraw and isolate myself from my friends and loved ones and make excuses that I am too busy or tired to get together. I go through it alone in my home or my car or a washroom privately 99% of the time. Otherwise, I am an expressive, positive, excited, joyful person and if I wasn’t so vocally open about my struggles, nobody would ever imagine what I go through privately. We all have to recognize that depression is not black and white, and learn to recognize the signs and understand what it looks like when someone is reaching out for help, or not able to ask for help. Look at Robin Williams, or Chester from Linkin Park etc. Most people report that hours or days before a loved one committed suicide, they were laughing, happy, and there was no indication that they were going to take their own life.
It is really important that people understand this.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-20/chester-bennington-suicide-shows-depression-doesnt-have-a-face/8960856
Thanks,
Jenny,
I am totally with you and do the same coping mechanisms. Like you, I am very good at putting on a happy face (raised that way) but deal with darkness on a daily basis. What really hurts is when I’ve tried to reach out to friends and their comments basically amount to “you have a nice house and a great husband, why are you complaining?” It’s true, my husband is amazing and we live in a nice home but that’s not the point. Depression hits people from all walks of life and creature comforts don’t soothe the underlying issues. This sounds cheesy but seriously, stay strong and know that you are not alone. You are a person of value and light. Mega-hugs.
following JVN on instagram has improved my my spirits so much, I highly recommend Getting Curious too. Season 3 can’t happen soon enough!
I absolutely love him. He’s my favorite person on Queer Eye, I love how supportive and compassionate he is with the people they make over. You can tell he is a kind soul. And depression wears MANY faces, you can never assume someone is okay just because they put on a happy face for the public. I hope he is able to find the true peace and happiness he deserves.
OMG they’re coming to KC! I found the email for casting and sent one in. Wish me luck!! My husband thinks I’m crazy to be excited but just yesterday on this site I was saying they need to come here and they are! This is so exciting!