Karamo Brown from Queer Eye Steps Back from Interviews Citing Past Emotional Struggles, Co-Stars Share Their Thoughts
Karamo Brown (left); ‘Queer Eye’ stars Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent.
Credit :
Today
NEED TO KNOW
- Karamo Brown skipped multiple live morning show interviews on Tuesday, January 20.
- In statements, Brown expressed feeling “mentally and emotionally abused,” without specifying the source of those feelings.
- The Queer Eye cast reacted to his absence during live broadcasts.
Karamo Brown made headlines on Tuesday, January 20, when he chose to forgo multiple morning show interviews alongside his Queer Eye costars, including Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent. The news of Brown’s decision was first shared by CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King, just an hour before the shows were set to air.
In a statement, Brown, 45, explained his withdrawal, emphasizing the importance of mental health: “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.”
Brown’s decision surprised his costars, who addressed it during their segments. “Surprised is a fair understatement,” Porowski, 41, remarked. “Our Queer Eye family, we’ve been doing this for almost a decade — which is pretty wild to believe — and families are complicated. But we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and honor the legacy of this past decade.”
Jeremiah Brent, who joined the show in season 9, shared his reflection on the group dynamic, stating, “My experience in this group has been transformative. They have taught me so much about life, friendship, and love. I have felt safe and supported by the people up here.”
On a segment of Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Brown sent a video message, reiterating his feelings of mental and emotional distress. He indicated that he had been advised by his therapist to “protect himself and his peace by not attending.” Although he did not specify who contributed to his feelings, he sought to impart a positive message: “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.”
Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent on ‘Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.’
Today
In his video, Brown encouraged fans to continue supporting the tenth season of Queer Eye, expressing pride in the project: “I loved every minute of it. The crew worked on it and did an amazing job. I want to shout out to the crew, the fans, and the executives at Netflix.” Notably absent from his thanks were his costars.
The cast continued to process Brown’s absence during their live discussions. Though surprised, Porowski emphasized their collective support for Brown’s decision to prioritize self-care. “We wish that he was here, but we fully support him taking care of himself,” he added.
Tan France echoed these sentiments, underscoring the show’s foundation of helping others, stating, “I am so proud of all the work everyone on the show has done, including Karamo.”
Jonathan Van Ness later commended Brown for making a difficult choice: “It is so difficult to center what you need and how to take care of yourself. I’m really proud of him for doing that.”
Brown’s journey on Queer Eye dates back to the series’ inception, which is a modern spinoff of the 2003-2007 show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. The current incident is not isolated; the cast has previously faced challenges within their dynamic.
In 2023, Bobby Berk announced his departure from Queer Eye after eight seasons. In a 2024 interview, he described personal tensions with France, indicating, “There was a situation… it was something personal that had been brewing — and nothing romantic, just to clarify that.”
Berk added, “We became like siblings — and siblings are always going to fight.”
