2024 was a year of great upheaval. Well, yes, obviously that happened, but in this case I’m referring to the behind-the-scenes drama going down at Queer Eye. Interior Design expert Bobby Berk officially bowed out after season 8 had wrapped, and it was swiftly announced that Jeremiah Brent would take his place. Berk called his exit a “contract issue,” but there had long been rumors of tensions among the Fab Five. Then Rolling Stone published a wild expose with seven unnamed production sources calling Grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness “abusive” and a “nightmare.” Yikes! But Brent stepped in with his beautiful hair and season 9 came and went without much fuss. Now the 10th and final season has dropped on Netflix, so the Fab Five hit the promo run this week and… there’s much fuss. The cast was booked for two morning shows on Tuesday, only Culture expert Karamo Brown pulled out of both appearances last minute, citing “emotional abuse” in a statement and video.
Brown’s statement when canceling on CBS Mornings with Gayle King an hour before the broadcast: “I hope everyone remembers the main theme I have tried to teach them over the past decade, which is to focus on and to protect their mental health/peace from people or a world who seek to destroy it; which is why I can’t be there today,” the statement read.
Food & Drink expert Antoni Porowski responds for the group: “Surprised is a fair understatement,” Porowski, 41, shared. “I will say, our Queer Eye family, we’ve been doing this for almost a decade — which is pretty wild to believe — and families are complicated and we’re definitely not excluded from that. But I think two things can exist at the same time. And while that is definitely true, we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and really honor the legacy of this past decade of our lives and all these wonderful heroes that we’ve had the blessing of getting to meet and have conversations with.”
Then Brown canceled on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle: …Brown sent in a video message after telling the NBC morning show in a statement that he “has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years,” and was advised by his therapist “to protect himself and his peace by not attending.” He did not specify who caused him to feel this way. In the video message, a smiling Brown reiterated, “Just like the themes of this season, I’m modeling what I believe is most important, which I want to remind you all, love yourselves and protect yourselves. That’s why I’m here at home and not there.”
JVN responds: And Van Ness, 38, took a moment to applaud Brown for taking care of himself, saying, “It is so difficult — I think both of you can identify — when you’re on a show and you’re just relentlessly working, it is so difficult to center what you need and how to take care of yourself. And he’s been teaching people how to take care of themselves on Queer Eye for almost 10 years. And I’m actually so proud of him for centering what he needs to do and taking care of himself. It’s not easy and that’s not an easy statement to make and I’m really proud of him for doing that. Obviously, we wish that he was here, but I am really proud of him for doing what he needs to do for what’s best for himself.”
I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I actually think Van Ness had the best response? From a PR/optics perspective. I’m not convinced Van Ness is sincere in these comments, but — and it does pain me to say this — I think their positive, compassionate spin was a smart way to respond as this was unfolding on TV. Or maybe Van Ness was feeling a smidgen of guilt, as TMZ claims to have uncovered the inciting incident: Brown’s mother visited on set when they were filming in DC last summer, and apparently heard Van Ness, Porowski, and Style expert Tan France trash talk her son on a hot mic. I’m so relieved Jeremiah was not one of the mean girls! But I have a question: what happened that led to Karamo canceling last minute, was it just one final slight after years of bad treatment?
Karamo Brown, one of the “Fab Five” of Netflix’s “Queer Eye,” did not participate in this morning’s interview with the cast, writing to CBS Mornings that he hopes people remember to “protect their mental health/peace.”
Brown’s assistant told CBS Mornings that the expert was… pic.twitter.com/oDDtlo8Y7v
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) January 20, 2026
Photos credit; David Needleman/Netflix, Jenny Anderson/Netflix, Farrah Skeiky/Netflix, Faye’s Vision/Cover Images
I always ff through the Van Ness stuff. Can’t put my finger on why exactly but he gives me the ick.
I will always side eye Van ness after the stories about what a nightmare he is to work with, screaming and throwing fits and being a bitch,
Kind of broke my heart, loved his representation. Love him in a gown.
And of course, it should never go unsaid that racism is generally a factor when a black person is bullied.
I get the last minute cancel in that if you’ve been away from abuse /mistreatment and are faced with having to go back into it/ it’s a hard no from your nervous system.
Just stopping by to say that that Daddy Karamo is wearing in one of the photos is gross. Provider, Protector, Leader. Barf.
I’m confused. What’s gross?
I’m also confused by this comment. Maybe one of his sons gave him that shirt. Nothing gross about being a proud Dad.
The QE BS has ALWAYS been BENEATH Jeremiah aka “Angel” ✨️ & I’m happy Karamo ✨️ is airing out the FILTHY laundry & making sure the show ends not on the mendacity & hubris 😬 that core group created…but on TRUTH! I will NEVA watch those “3” after the show goes off…again! Can you IMAGINE Karamo’s Mama hearing her son’s co-workers dragging her child like that?🤬
Yeah, that’s rough. To be caught talking bad about your coworker by his mom. Yikes.
Many MANY years ago I was a design blogger and Bobby opened his own furniture store in our city. I went for a meet and greet and he was really nice and didn’t act “above” the bloggers and design enthusiasts, and so ever since then I’ve ridden hard for him lol. I feel his character was evident in how he worked hard and kept his head down on QE, then noped out of there when the drama got to be too much cuz that’s not what he’s about.
IMO he did the most work on the show
Bobby 100% on his “side”. He’s one of the good ones. Jeremiah too. The others seem a “little” gossipy and diva-ish to me. I am not surprised they were like that with Karamo, who I also grew to love.
I’m sure promotion of the show is part of the contract, so the timing of this suggests to me that Brown is likely at the point in his contract where, if Queer Eye decides he’s in violation and decides to stop paying him, it’s an amount (a) he’s willing to forfeit, and/or (b) that he believes is not worth Queer Eye’s time and trouble to sue over.
Also, you drop words like bullying, and HR just nods and walks away. They can’t make him do PR for the show if there’s a risk of him suing for harassment. ALSO, I doubt the Netflix PR machine wants to risk having him spill the tea on every interview.
Regardless of what’s happened behind the scenes….the 4 of them holding hands the whole time…performative much?
It is interesting that Karamo unfollowed everyone except Jeremiah. Rolling Stone did an expose on Jonathan van Ness alleging he has rage issues and that he is verbally abusive.
Let’s be real, we didn’t need a reboot of Queer Eye with a new cast when our OG’s were so fantastic.
Okay I bet it was about it Botox tho🫣