The cast of “Queer Eye” will have to regroup as the Fab Four after star Karamo Brown pulled out of several interviews to promote the show’s latest season.
The host and reality-TV personality, who comprises one fifth of Netflix’s reality makeover series, was absent from the group’s interviews on “CBS Mornings” and the “Today” show on Tuesday, Jan. 20. The show’s 10th (and final) season is set to be released on Wednesday.
Brown, 45, released statements to both morning talk shows explaining his absence, with the “Queer Eye” lifestyle expert claiming he was withdrawing from the show’s press activities to preserve his mental health. Brown did not share details on what circumstances prompted his abrupt hiatus.
USA TODAY has reached out to representatives for Brown and Netflix for comment.
“Queer Eye,” a reboot of the 2000s show “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,” debuted on Netflix in 2018 with a new cast of experts that included food personality Antoni Porowski, hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness, fashion designer Tan France and interior designer Bobby Berk. Jeremiah Brent replaced Berk’s position in Season 9.
Karamo Brown cites mental health concerns ahead of ‘CBS Mornings’ appearance
Less than an hour before his “Queer Eye” castmates appeared on “CBS Mornings,” Brown canceled his appearance on the talk show.
“CBS Mornings” host Gayle King read a statement from Brown at the start of the cast interview and noted that Brown’s assistant said the TV personality was “worried about being bullied.”
“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,” Brown said.
Porowski said while he and his costars were surprised by Brown’s absence and remarks, he likened the “Queer Eye” cast to a family and acknowledged that “families are complicated, and we’re definitely not excluded from that.”
“But I think two things can exist at the same time,” Porowski, 41, continued. “And while that is definitely true, we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and really honor the legacy of this past decade of our lives and all these wonderful heroes that we’ve had the blessing of getting to meet and have conversations with.”
Brent added that his experience on the show has been “transformative,” explaining, “To see the way that they move through the world, the way that they have taught me so much about life and friendship and love, I have felt safe and supported by the people up here.”
Karamo Brown alleges mental, emotional abuse amid canceled ‘Today’ show appearance
Brown was also absent from the “Queer Eye” cast’s Tuesday interview on the “Today” show.
In a statement to the NBC talk show, Brown said he “has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years,” adding that he was advised by a therapist to “protect himself and his peace by not attending.”
“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,” Brown said in a follow-up video message. “That’s why I’m here at home and not there.”
While Brown’s costars lamented his absence from the press tour, Van Ness also applauded Brown for taking care of his mental health.
“When you’re on a show and you’re just relentlessly working, it is so difficult to center what you need and how to take care of yourself,” Van Ness, 38, said. “And he’s been teaching people how to take care of themselves on ‘Queer Eye’ for almost 10 years.”
“That’s not an easy statement to make, and I’m really proud of him for doing that,” Van Ness continued. “Obviously, we wish that he was here, but I am really proud of him for doing what he needs to do for what’s best for himself.”
Karamo Brown previously had drama with this ‘Queer Eye’ cast member
This isn’t the first time Brown has gotten candid on his “Queer Eye” experience.
During a 2019 appearance on the E! News podcast “Just the Sip,” Brown revealed he and Porowski didn’t get along during production of the show’s first season.
“People didn’t know that we had an extreme amount of conflict,” Brown told host Justin Sylvester at the time. “We did not talk to each other at all during Season 1, even though we were shooting together.”
Brown attributed the pair’s strained relationship to an unnamed “third party” in their inner circle, who allegedly spread rumors about the TV personalities. He said he and Porowski later resolved their feud in a roughly hourlong conversation.
“Before we would go on camera, we would say to each other, ‘This is not about us. It’s about this person,'” Brown said. “But off camera, the minute that camera stopped rolling, [it was like] ‘Girl, don’t come near me.’ And vice versa, he didn’t want me to come near him.”
Contributing: Melina Khan, USA TODAY
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