Karamo Brown is speaking out about what led to his major falling out with his Queer Eye co-stars!
As we previously reported, the 45-year-old reality star is no longer on good terms with Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, and Jeremiah Brent after filming the final season of the beloved Netflix reboot last summer. Things are so bad between them that Karamo didn’t show up to promote Queer Eye with the group earlier this year! And it was reportedly after a jaw-dropping hot mic moment on set!
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According to reports, Karamo’s mom overheard Antoni, Tan, and Jonathan gossiping about him while she was visiting the set! OMG! That comes after the entire cast, including newbie Jeremiah, also had been purposefully excluding him! And he is now confirming it’s all true!
The television personality spoke to People about the drama on Tuesday, saying he put up with so much toxicity from several of the Fab Five, which also featured Bobby Berk before he left in 2023, for years. Karamo claimed he faced a lot of bullying and bad behavior from his co-stars that executives and production members brushed off instead of addressing:
“Everyone would just say, ‘Well, that’s just that person,’ instead of saying, ‘This behavior does not fly in a professional environment.’ It impacted me negatively, consistently.”
Oof. Karamo shared that he became “depressed” filming the series, adding:
“It felt shameful because I was teaching people that they could be better, but in my own life I was trapped.”
And while some fans may think this feud is new, the friendship between the Fab Five actually fell apart super early into the show! Karamo explained that he had a “fun and flirty” relationship with one of the members during the casting phase, but his co-star filed a complaint against him. Karamo was cleared of any wrongdoing following an investigation, but when he learned an anonymous third party was responsible, he said:
“It broke us. We all knew the divide between us.”
Karamo’s relationships with Jonathan and Tan were especially strained, per multiple sources. An insider familiar with the cast’s dynamic told People:
“Jonathan was someone whose frustrations were often expressed openly. Others were more likely to create tension behind the scenes.”
We did hear Jonathan was a bit of a “monster” on set…
Ultimately, the final straw came when his mother, Charmaine, caught his co-stars trash-talking him in 2025. People also confirmed that Jonathan, Tan, and Antoni were the ones gossiping about him! Ugh! Karamo said he never asked her for details about what the trio said, but DailyMail.com sources previously claimed Antoni, Tan, and JVN criticized him for the way he “looked and dressed.” They also reportedly attacked his job:
“But then it turned into complaining about what he tells the subjects on the show. … Since he is the life coach, that’s obviously not something that anyone wants to hear — that they aren’t doing a good job. It’s especially hard when it’s coming from your so-called friends.”
Again, Karamo can’t confirm or deny this since he never asked his mom for the deets. But what they said was horrible enough to make his mother cry:
“The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother’s eyes. [She kept repeating], ‘I thought they were your friends.’ It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider.”
How awful…
After that moment, Karamo decided to pull out of all press appearances with the cast. He said that the group “had always come together because of the fans, but because of the work I’d done on myself, I asked, ‘If I stay quiet right now and pretend I’m sick or something, whose peace am I protecting?’” Karamo hasn’t spoken to most of the cast since, including Jonathan. However, shockingly, he had kind things to say about the hairstylist:
“The work I have seen Jonathan pouring into himself is commendable and inspiring. Growth isn’t always public-facing, but I respect him for how he’s currently moving through life.”
Karamo also noted the others aren’t solely to blame for the Fab Five’s fractured dynamic! He is at fault, too. He said:
“There were times I was hurt and would lash back out. I recognize my part and how things I did impacted people.”
At this time, Jonathan, Antoni, and Tan haven’t addressed the accusations. But Queer Eye‘s production company ITV America and Scout Productions fired back in a statement to People:
“We strongly disagree with any characterization that concerns raised during the production of Queer Eye were ignored, dismissed or allowed to continue unchecked. Throughout the series’ run, any issues brought to production leadership were taken seriously and addressed appropriately. Production consistently fostered a respectful and professional environment for the cast and crew — which included ongoing training, coaching and other support for the cast — maintaining clear workplace policies and practices throughout filming. We remain incredibly proud of Queer Eye‘s lasting impact and the community the series helped build over more than 20 years.”
What are your thoughts, Perezcious readers? Do you think the Fab Five can ever reconcile? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via CBS Mornings/Jennifer Hudson Show/YouTube]
