Karamo Brown has revealed the reason why he left Queer Eye.
In a new interview with People, Brown shared that the cast “often” made him “feel like an outsider.” He also said that his mother overheard his cast members gossiping about him on set.
He said that his mother told him with “tears in her eyes,” as she said, “I thought they were your friends.” People confirmed that Jonathan van Ness, Antoni Porowski, and Tan France were the ones talking about Brown behind his back.
Brown said that he experienced behavior that “does not fly in a professional environment” and that “impacted [him] negatively, consistently.” He also said that he felt “depressed” and “trapped” while filming.
Insiders told the outlet that there was a lot of tension between Brown, van Ness, and France. Brown also admitted that he didn’t always react in the best way.
“There were times I was hurt and would lash back out. I recognize my part and how things I did impacted people.”
In late January, Brown made headlines when he skipped the Queer Eye press tour. In a statement shared on CBS Mornings, he explained that he made the decision to protect his mental health after what he described as feeling “mentally and emotionally abused for years.”
“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 in the statement. “That’s why I can’t be there today,” he added, though he didn’t name anyone directly.
Two days later, a source told TMZ that Brown brought his mother on set while they shot Season 10 in Washington D.C. She put on production headphones and overheard Antoni Porowski, France, and van Ness speaking negatively about Brown, including criticizing unspecified lifestyle choices. She later told her son.
