Jonathan Van Ness is FINALLY responding to those allegations…
Back in March, Rolling Stone ran a scathing exposé in which multiple witnesses accused the Queer Eye star of having “rage” issues, leaving co-workers in “fear,” and being an overall “monster.” It’s a LOT, and you can catch up on it all HERE.
Now, over three months after its release, Jonathan is finally speaking out.
While appearing on the Table Manners podcast on Wednesday, the nonbinary TV star revealed they and the rest of the “Queer Eye family” caught wind of the “investigative takedown” back in December — but were advised it “isn’t really based in reality.” However, they were told:
“[It] can certainly have a lot of things taken out of context to make you look as bad as possible. So that could drop any day now. Just so you know.”
It did make them look pretty bad…
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Jonathan recalled feeling like they had to “walk on eggshells” after learning the exposé could hit the web at any point:
“I think a lot of people were like looking for a reason to hate me or like looking for a reason to be like, ‘See, I always knew that they were a fake c**t and this is the proof. My family was so supportive of my husband and my team, but I didn’t even get on social media, like look at my phone for three weeks.”
The hairstylist also noted how bad of timing it all was, as they were getting ready to launch their haircare line, JVN Hair:
“I think people forget no matter how famous you are you’re still a person. That article came at like an incredibly vulnerable time, like for my hair care company, for like my whole career. It just was really rough.”
But despite maintaining the “article was overwhelmingly untrue and done in bad faith,” Jonathan still tried to use it as an opportunity to hold themself accountable:
“There have obviously been times through my career where you’re like stressed out. Or like I may have been like elbow deep in highlights and was like, ‘No, I can’t talk about that right now.’ I know that there was times where I like could have been better.”
They recalled thinking:
“I was like, ‘Oh my God, is it true? Like, am I really this bad person?’ It forced me to just like really learn how to slow down, disengage and then really love myself … I think that that article made me realize like how much I’d been put in this position of like being an expert, or being perfect. I’m someone who champions self-acceptance. But sometimes self-acceptance looks like having to love yourself through incredibly hard times.”
What are your thoughts after hearing Jonathan’s response, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments down below.
[Images via The Diary Of A CEO & Still Watching Netflix/YouTube]
