{"id":2442014,"date":"2026-06-02T18:40:53","date_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:40:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2442014"},"modified":"2026-06-02T18:40:53","modified_gmt":"2026-06-02T18:40:53","slug":"karamo-brown-details-relapse-12-years-into-sobriety-i-struggled-with-not-facing-my-demons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/karamo-brown-details-relapse-12-years-into-sobriety-i-struggled-with-not-facing-my-demons\/","title":{"rendered":"Karamo Brown details relapse 12 years into sobriety: &#8216;I struggled with not facing my demons&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<h3 class=\"mb-4 text-lg font-bold\">Key Points<\/h3>\n<ul class=\"mb-4\">\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Karamo Brown said he relapsed after 12 years of sobriety while filming<em> Queer Eye<\/em> season 3 in 2018.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Brown said challenging relationship dynamics with his Fab Five castmates led him to break his sobriety after 12 years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"ml-4 list-disc\">\n<div class=\"\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It felt shameful because I was teaching people that they could be better, but in my own life I was trapped,&#8221; Brown shared in a new interview.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/karamo-brown\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Karamo Brown;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Karamo Brown&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Karamo Brown<\/a> has revealed why he relapsed after 12 years of being sober while filming <em>Queer Eye <\/em>season 3.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <em>Karamo<\/em> talk show host\u00a0shared in a new interview that while he and his Fab Five castmates \u2014 Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, and Bobby Berk \u2014 appeared cordial on screen, a toxic environment was boiling behind the scenes. Brown alleged that bullying and negative behavior from castmates, as well as executives and members of production, were what led him to break his sobriety in 2018.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I struggled with not facing my demons and the things I was going through on <em>Queer Eye<\/em>,&#8221; Brown said in an interview with <em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>&#8216;s sister publication, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/people.com\/queer-eye-karamo-brown-reveals-he-relapsed-alcohol-drugs-during-show-exclusive-11988482\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:PEOPLE;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;PEOPLE&quot;}\" class=\"link \">PEOPLE<\/a>. &#8220;It was: \u2018I\u2019m stressed from work, meet me at a bar for a drink.\u2019 A drink would lead to weed, cocaine, pills. I wasn&#8217;t coping right, but I pretended like I was. I was so broken.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal dialogue\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Karamo Brown with Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, and Tan France<br \/>Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman\/Netflix<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I was depressed,&#8221; he told the outlet. &#8220;It felt shameful because I was teaching people that they could be better, but in my own life I was trapped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Per PEOPLE, a statement from the show\u2019s production companies, ITV America and Scout Productions, said they \u201cstrongly disagree with any characterization that concerns raised &#8230; were ignored, dismissed or allowed to continue unchecked.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The <em>Real World<\/em> alum previously shared in his memoir\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.barnesandnoble.com\/w\/karamo-karamo-brown\/1130062791\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Karamo&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope<\/em><\/a> that <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/books\/2019\/06\/11\/karamo-brown-queer-eye-memoir-lgbtq\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:when he learned he had a son;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;when he learned he had a son&quot;}\" class=\"link \">when he learned he had a son<\/a>, Jason, he made the decision to get sober. Brown soon gained custody of Jason and eventually adopted his younger half-brother, Christian.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;As a parent, I&#8217;m always thinking, &#8216;Did I make the right decision of taking custody, bringing him into my life, exposing him to all facets of my world?&#8217; What I realized is that everything I did has turned him into a loving, supportive, exceptional young man. And vice versa; he learned that he had an influence on me becoming a better man,&#8221; Karamo <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/books\/2019\/06\/11\/karamo-brown-queer-eye-memoir-lgbtq\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:told;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;told&quot;}\" class=\"link \">told <\/a><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/books\/2019\/06\/11\/karamo-brown-queer-eye-memoir-lgbtq\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:EW;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;EW&quot;}\" class=\"link \">EW<\/a> in 2019.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Despite the positive impact of his son, Brown said drama with his <em>Queer Eye <\/em>costars \u2014\u00a0which at one point <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/karamo-brown-queer-eye-stars-made-mom-cry-speaking-negatively-11988835\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:made his mother, Charmaine, cry;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;made his mother, Charmaine, cry&quot;}\" class=\"link \">made his mother, Charmaine, cry<\/a> after she heard costars speaking negatively about him on set \u2014 led him to use substances again.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our <\/em><\/strong><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;EW Dispatch newsletter&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><strong><em>EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a><strong><em>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;After a couple of beers, I could smoke weed with you all night and not be able to function,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I might take a pill with you and be rolling and thinking that was euphoria when it was not. I might do cocaine to keep the party going and make me feel connected when it did not. I try to teach people now that it&#8217;s not the substance you&#8217;re struggling with, it&#8217;s the feelings underneath that you haven&#8217;t focused on.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Karamo Brown at the 2022 People's Choice AwardsCredit: Frazer Harrison\/WireImage\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/61CANiPttrv7ECkUadJKqw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/entertainment_weekly_785\/e34953a3d7c4f51c88a4d7d48bbfd2c6\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-0 size-full\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-3 right-3 rounded-full bg-primary p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-primary\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewbox=\"0 0 24 24\" aria-hidden=\"true\" focusable=\"false\" class=\"flex-none size-4 -scale-x-100 text-primary lg:size-6 [&amp;_path]:fill-current\"><path fill=\"currentColor\" d=\"M3.1 3.1V11h1.8V6.314l5.392 5.393 1.415-1.414L6.313 4.9H11V3.1zm17.8 17.8V13h-1.8v4.686l-5.393-5.393-1.415 1.414 5.393 5.393H13v1.8z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal dialogue\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 top-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-primary hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p><i>Karamo Brown at the 2022 People&#8217;s Choice Awards<br \/>Credit: Frazer Harrison\/WireImage<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">A scary wake-up call from a year-and-a-half ago broke the cycle for Brown, who is now in a 12-step program and regularly attending meetings. According to the reality star, a guest had a negative reaction to a substance that was taken in his home.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cSince that day, I\u2019ve not had a single drink, cocktail \u2014 nothing,\u201d Brown shared. &#8220;I want to encourage people that there&#8217;s a side to not having to drink that is so fun.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Another reason to stay committed to his sobriety is the fact that Brown&#8217;s son, Jason, is expecting his first child this fall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">\u201cWith this journey I\u2019ve been on, I\u2019m making sure that I\u2019m healed not just for me, but also for them,\u201d the grandfather-to-be said. &#8220;There\u2019s now going to be two generations looking at me,&#8221; Brown said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at <\/em><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/988lifeline.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:988lifeline.org;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;988lifeline.org&quot;}\" class=\"link \"><em>988lifeline.org<\/em><\/a><em> 24\/7. <\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/karamo-brown-details-relapse-12-years-into-sobriety-11989165\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"elm:link;elmt:article_link;slk:Entertainment Weekly;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;context_link&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Entertainment Weekly&quot;}\" class=\"link \">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source nz.news.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Key Points Karamo Brown said he relapsed after 12 years of sobriety while filming Queer Eye season 3 in 2018. Brown said challenging relationship dynamics with his Fab Five castmates led him to break his sobriety after 12 years. &#8220;It felt shameful because I was teaching people that they could be better, but in my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2442015,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[398629,389588,314384],"class_list":["post-2442014","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-karamo-brown","tag-queer-eye","tag-sobriety"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Karamo-Brown-details-relapse-12-years-into-sobriety-I-struggled.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442014","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2442014"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442014\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2442016,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2442014\/revisions\/2442016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2442015"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2442014"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2442014"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2442014"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}