Inside the Queer Eye Cast’s Conflict with Karamo Brown Ahead of the Finale (Exclusive)
After a decade, Queer Eye has concluded — and Karamo Brown appears to be the most relieved.
Brown, 45, revealed the cast’s internal conflicts just hours before their beloved Netflix series finale on January 21. He announced he would not be participating in promotional interviews alongside Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent due to concerns about being “bullied.”
An exclusive source shared with Us Weekly that tensions within the Fab Five had been accumulating for some time. Brown “blocked — not unfollowed — Antoni, Tan, and JVN on Instagram” before voicing his concerns. (He continues to follow Brent and former cast member Bobby Berk, who has previously acknowledged his own “moment” of tension with France behind the scenes.)
“Karamo feels relieved that the final season has aired, allowing him to close this chapter,” the insider notes. “With so many strong personalities in the group, it’s quite remarkable they made it to 10 seasons while navigating those dynamics.”
The conflict became public on January 20 when CBS Mornings cohost Gayle King informed Porowski, 41, France, 42, Van Ness, 38, and Brent, 41, during a live broadcast that she had just learned about Brown’s decision not to join their discussion.
“I hope everyone remembers the important lesson I’ve tried to impart over the years: to safeguard their mental health and peace from those who would seek to disrupt it,” Brown stated, which King, 71, publicly read, catching his castmates off guard.
“I will say, our Queer Eye family, we’ve been at this for nearly a decade … and families can be complicated, just like we are,” Porowski replied. “But I believe that two realities can coexist.”
In the meantime, Van Ness expressed support for Brown, noting he was “really proud of him” for prioritizing his own well-being.
A second insider informed Us that the cast’s “issues” began long before Berk, 44, exited Queer Eye in 2024, coinciding with a Rolling Stone exposé in which Van Ness was accused of emotional abuse towards crew members, claims he refuted.
“Karamo faced challenges with the group at that time, but nothing to the extent of Bobby,” the insider reveals. “Now, tensions have resurfaced. Karamo doesn’t feel included, but there wasn’t a significant incident or fight.” (TMZ recently reported Brown reached his breaking point after Porowski, France, and Van Ness were allegedly caught making derogatory comments about him on a hot mic while filming in Washington, D.C., last summer.)
The first source characterizes Brown as a “strong personality who isn’t shy about vocalizing his thoughts and feelings,” evident in his comments during CBS Mornings.
However, the second insider claims Porowski, France, Van Ness, and Brent never conspired against Brown, stating to Us, “Tan and Antoni share a close bond, but they are not an exclusive clique with the others.”
Despite a tumultuous ending marked by fractured relationships, the first source hints that “this isn’t the end of Queer Eye,” encouraging fans to keep an eye out for what’s next.
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for the cast for comments.
All 10 seasons of Queer Eye are now available for streaming on Netflix.
