Karamo Brown has opened up about the circumstances that led to his departure from Queer Eye, revealing that he often felt isolated while working on the hit series.
In a recent interview with People, Brown said the show’s cast frequently made him feel like he didn’t belong. He also recalled a painful moment when his mother overheard fellow cast members speaking negatively about him while visiting the set.
According to Brown, his mother later approached him “with tears in her eyes” and said, “I thought they were your friends.” People reported that the cast members involved were Jonathan van Ness, Antoni Porowski, and Tan France.
Brown claimed he experienced conduct that “does not fly in a professional environment” and said the situation affected him “negatively, consistently” throughout his time on the show. He added that the environment left him feeling both “depressed” and “trapped” during filming.
Sources who spoke with the outlet described ongoing tension between Brown, van Ness, and France. Brown acknowledged that he wasn’t always faultless in those conflicts, admitting that he sometimes reacted emotionally.
“There were times I was hurt and would lash back out. I recognize my part and how things I did impacted people,” he said.
Brown first sparked speculation in late January when he skipped the Queer Eye press tour. In a statement shared on CBS Mornings, he explained that he chose not to participate in order to prioritize his mental health after years of what he described as emotional and mental mistreatment.
“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 and peace,” Brown said at the time. “That’s why I can’t be there today.”
A few days later, TMZ reported that Brown had brought his mother to the set while filming Season 10 in Washington, D.C. According to the report, she was wearing production headphones when she allegedly overheard Porowski, France, and van Ness making negative remarks about Brown, including criticism of certain personal lifestyle choices. She later relayed the conversation to her son, a moment Brown says ultimately reinforced his decision to move on from the show.
