Karamo Brown Says He Was “Being Bullied” by His ‘Queer Eye’ Co-Stars for Years

It's rare to see a reboot have even more success than its predecessor, but that's exactly what happened with Queer Eye. In 2018, the series launched on Netflix 15 years after the original series aired on Bravo. The reboot proved to be an instant success and has since become Netflix's longest-running unscripted show to date.

Alas, all good things eventually come to an end, and the Queer Eye franchise is no different. In January 2026, the series aired its tenth and final season in Washington, D.C. While fans were already bummed to see the show go, one of its co-hosts, Karamo Brown, discussed the drama surrounding the show that caused him to distance himself from his co-stars.

Here's the scoop on Karamo's Queer Eye drama.

Queer Eye fans were shocked when Karamo didn't appear in several press appearances with his co-stars. On Jan. 20, the Fab Five were set to appear on CBS Mornings, but only Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah arrived onstage. CBS Mornings host Gayle King then opened the interview with a statement Karamo wrote explaining his absence.

"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; which is why I can't be there today,” Karamo stated.

The daytime host's assistant also informed the show that he was worried about "being bullied" by his castmates and didn't want to subject himself to it again while promoting Queer Eye's final season.

During the cast's appearance on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Karamo made similar claims and sent a video message for fans to enjoy rather than going on the daytime show. He also released a statement where he said he "has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years,” and that his therapist suggested that he "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. That’s why I’m here at home and not there," Karamo added to his video message.

In addition to not participating in Queer Eye's final press run, Karamo took more action steps to distance himself from his co-stars. According to People, shortly after his absences from CBS Mornings and Today, he unfollowed three of his former Fab Five members — Antoni, Tan, and Jonathan. The outlet reported that Karamo still follows Jeremiah, who joined the cast in Season 9 following OG star Bobby Berk's departure. Like Karamo, Bobby reportedly had some internal drama with the group before ultimately deciding to leave the show.

Amid Karamo stating there was some drama between him and his co-stars, some of them have shared their side of the beef. During their CBS Mornings interview, the remaining cast revealed they were "surprised" by his decision to skip their press tour. However, Antoni admitted the group had become "complicated" over the years.

"Our Queer Eye family, we've been doing this for almost a decade, which is pretty wild to believe," the self-taught cook explained. "And families are complicated and we're definitely not excluded from that."

Jonathan also chimed in and said he respected Karamo's decision not to appear on the press tour to protect his peace.

"One thing that I've been so honored to learn from Karamo in my time is...we have to meet people where they're at," Jonathan explained on CBS Mornings. "And he has taught people to center what they need. And I'm actually really proud of him. Center what you need. Do the things you need to do to take care of you. I'd be lying if I didn't feel like that sometimes. I think it's really beautiful."

Jeremiah then spoke to his experience on the show and said he had only felt loved and supported by his co-stars. Antoni and Tan also shared on Today that they wished Karamo decided to join them and help them properly celebrate their show's legacy. However, it seems he's content with exactly how he made his exit.

Stream Queer Eye exclusively on Netflix.