Brown alleged in a new interview he was “often” made “to feel like an outsider” on the Netflix reality show.

Karamo Brown explains Queer Eye drama that allegedly made his mom cry on set: ‘Can no longer stay silent’

Brown alleged in a new interview he was "often" made "to feel like an outsider" on the Netflix reality show.

Joey Nolfi

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

EW's editorial guidelines

June 2, 2026 11:20 a.m. ET

Leave a Comment

Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, and Karamo Brown on 'Queer Eye'. Credit:

Jenny Anderson/Netflix

- *Queer Eye* star Karamo Brown has opened up about alleged drama on set.

- The talk show host said his mom cried on set after she allegedly heard his costars speaking negatively about him.

- “[She kept repeating], ‘I thought they were your friends,'" he recalled.

*Queer Eye* star Karamo Brown has opened up about alleged drama on the set of the Emmy-winning Netflix series, which Brown co-led with Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, and Bobby Berk (and later Jeremiah Brent, following Berk's prior departure) across 10 seasons since 2018.

The *Real World* alum and *Karamo* talk show host recalled in a new interview that simmering tensions boiled over for him on the set of the makeover reality series after his mom, Charmaine, allegedly heard her son's costars speaking negatively about him when she visited production in 2025.

“The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother's eyes,” he told **'s sister publication, PEOPLE, to which a source reportedly confirmed that Van Ness, France, and Porowski were part of the alleged conversation. "[She kept repeating], ‘I thought they were your friends.' It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider."

Brown told the outlet that a divide was wedged between himself, Van Ness, France, Porowski, and Berk (who exited the show after season 8) amid an alleged sexual harassment complaint that was filed against Brown, who said he had a “fun and flirty” relationship with another cast member during casting for the show.

Karamo Brown at a Bravo event.

Gabe Ginsberg/Getty

While he wouldn't name the other party, Brown claimed he was cleared of wrongdoing, and eventually learned that a third-party member of production was responsible for the complaint.

“It broke us,” he said of the cast dynamic after the report. "We all knew the divide between us."

According to PEOPLE, "a source inside production disputes Brown's 'characterization of events,' but confirms an investigation was conducted and says 'all parties wanted to move on with the show,'" the outlet reported.

Brown also alleged that a senior member at the production once told him, “You are not a star. I will get rid of you tomorrow," amid other claims about the show's on-set dynamic, which have, in the past, included other allegations of abusive behavior against Van Ness.

'Queer Eye' cast drama explained: Inside Karamo Brown's 'abuse' allegations, Bobby Berk's sudden exit, and more

Here's how the Fab 5 say goodbye in 'Queer Eye' final season

*Rolling Stone* previously published a report about allegations from several people involved in *Queer Eye*'s production, who alleged that Van Ness was "abusive" and exhibited "rage issues" on set.

In June 2024, Van Ness addressed the allegations on pop star Jessie Ware's *Table Manners* podcast, claiming that the allegations weren't "really based in reality" and were "overwhelmingly untrue and done in bad faith."

Brown addressed Van Ness in the PEOPLE article, telling the outlet, "The work I have seen Jonathan pouring into himself is commendable and inspiring,” adding, “Growth isn't always public-facing, but I respect him for how he's currently moving through life."

He also admitted to misstepping on his own, noting that "there were times I was hurt and would lash back out. I recognize my part and how things I did impacted people."

'Queer Eye' stars Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, Tan France, and Jonathan Van Ness.

Bronson Farr/Netflix

The final season of* Queer Eye* ultimately debuted in dramatic fashion in January, with Brown ultimately pulling out of promotional interviews on *CBS Mornings *and *Today. *In a subsequent statement to CBS host Gayle King, Brown said he was "worried about being bullied," and that he needed to protect his mental health "from people or a world who seek to destroy it."

Porowski said at the time that Brown pulling out of the interviews at the last moment was a shocking move to him.

"Our *Queer Eye* family, we've been doing this for almost a decade… and families are complicated, and we're definitely not excluded from that," Porowski said on the air. "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 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."

In his PEOPLE interview, Brown addressed the morning show incident by explaining that he and his fellow stars "had always come together because of the fans, but because of the work I'd done on myself, I asked, ‘If I stay quiet right now and pretend I'm sick or something, whose peace am I protecting?'"

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter*****.**

*Queer Eye* production companies ITV America and Scout Productions responded to Brown's allegations in a statement to PEOPLE, writing, "We strongly disagree with any characterization that concerns raised during the production of *Queer Eye *were ignored, dismissed or allowed to continue unchecked. Throughout the series' run, any issues brought to production leadership were taken seriously and addressed appropriately. Production consistently fostered a respectful and professional environment for the cast and crew — which included ongoing training, coaching and other support for the cast — maintaining clear workplace policies and practices throughout filming."

EW has reached out to representatives for Netflix, France, and Van Ness for comment on the PEOPLE interview.

- Celebrities & Creators

- Celebrity Feuds & Controversies

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW Celebrity”