Queer Eye Star Backs Out Of Press Tour With Claim He Was 'Emotionally Abused For Years'

The roll-out for the final season of Netflix’s Queer Eye got off to a shaky start this week when cast member Karamo Brown backed out of a pair of TV appearances at the last minute, citing “mental health” concerns. 

On Tuesday morning, Karamo had been slated to appear on CBS Mornings alongside co-stars Jeremiah Brent, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Jonathan Van Ness to promote the 10th and final season of Queer Eye.

However, as the interview kicked offhost Gayle King shared a statement from Karamo, in which he addressed his absence. 

“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. 

Gayle also said Karamo’s assistant had told her that the culture guru was “worried about being bullied”, but did not elaborate further on the matter. 

The four remaining Queer Eye stars seemed caught off-guard by Karamo’s announcement and absence, and held one another’s hands for the duration of the interview. 

“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,” Antoni said.

“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 that we have and really honour the legacy of this past decade of our lives.” 

Jeremiah, Tan, Antoni and Jonathan had to contend with Karamo’s absence yet again on NBC’s Today With Jenna & Sheinelle later that day.

This time, Karamo shared a video message thanking Netflix, the Queer Eye crew and the show’s fans for their support, but notably made no mention of his co-stars. 

“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,” he said in the clip. “That’s why I’m here, at home, and not there.”

Co-host Sheinelle Jones also shared a statement from Karamo’s assistant, which read in part: “Karamo has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years and he’s been advised by his therapist to protect himself and his peace by not attending.” 

Karamo’s co-stars again held hands and appeared more visibly emotional than they had been on CBS Mornings, but nonetheless shifted the conversation to the series itself. 

“Look, we’re so sorry that he’s not here,” Antoni said. “We fully support, I think, as a collective unit, him taking care of himself. And to echo what he’s saying, we’re here to honor the legacy of a decade, which is so wild to think about.” 

HuffPost reached out to representatives for Netflix for comment on Karamo’s absence from the Queer Eye press tour, but did not immediately hear back. 

Queer Eye, a reboot of the 2000s makeover show Queer Eye For The Straight Guy, premiered on Netflix in 2018 to critical acclaim.

Over the course of nine seasons, the makeover series won 12 Emmy Awards and turned its five stars into household names. 

In November 2023, however, original cast member Bobby Berk stunned fans by announcing his departure from the series after eight seasons.

Though Bobby initially shrugged off rumours of behind-the-scenes tension between him and his co-stars, a Rolling Stone exposé published in March 2024 accused Tan and Antoni of engaging in “mean-girl antics” to get Bobby axed from the series to make way for Brent, his replacement. 

The most explosive allegations, however, were levelled at Jonathan, with Rolling Stone speaking to four anonymous Queer Eye production sources and three former colleagues who described the celebrity hairstylist as a “nightmare” and a “monster” who is “demeaning” and emotionally “abusive”.

Following Rolling Stone’s piece, Tan denied having anything to do with Bobby’s exit, while Jonathan also spoke out against the troubling claims, calling them “overwhelmingly untrue”.

“I know there were times where I could have been better,” they said in a June 2024 appearance on the Table Manners podcast.

While the stylist sidestepped many of the specific claims about their alleged behaviour, they said the article “forced me to really learn how to slow down, disengage, and then really love myself”.