Carter Oosterhouse’s Trading Spaces costars are rallying behind the HGTV personality amid sexual misconduct allegations made against him in December 2017.
As previously reported, Kailey Kaminsky, a former makeup artist, alleged Oosterhouse coerced her into performing repeated acts of oral sex during production of his series Carter Can in 2008. Oosterhouse, who is married to actress Amy Smart, later said in a statement to Us Weekly that his relationship with Kaminsky was consensual.
While speaking at the TLC Trading Spaces TCA party at the Langham Hotel in Pasadena, California, on Friday, January 12, his coworkers praised Oosterhouse — who was on Trading Spaces from 2004 to 2007 and is appearing in the reboot — in light of the allegations.
Host Paige Davis told Us Weekly, “What I can tell you from my experience with Carter is that he is an absolute professional. I’ve never had any experience with him where I haven’t just had the best time ever. He’s down to earth. He’s very good at what he does. And I enjoyed working these episodes with him. And I’m really excited for them to air.”
Ty Pennington agreed, saying, “Everything she just said I reiterate. We know Carter as the Carter we know. And he’s a great guy.” Davis added, “He’s never been anything but perfectly professional.”
Designer Laurie Smith said the team is standing by their friend, saying, “I’ve never met a kinder, more generous soul. He’s consistent. And I’m proud to call him [a] friend. … He’s pretty outstanding … We love him.”
“From what I know of Carter, he is a decent human being,” designer Vern Yip added. “He is a solid person. He’s a loving husband. He’s a loving father. And I think we have to realize that it’s important to make sure that we listen to exactly what’s going on. And that we don’t throw somebody under the bus without first making sure that we understand the entire story and view it through the lens of the facts. That’s not me saying something is untrue or not true, but that’s just me saying that from what I know of Carter, he’s a good, good person.”
Oosterhouse’s TLC family aren’t the only ones to publicly defend him. His wife posted her own message of support on Instagram last month, writing, “We are in a climate right now where it’s so wonderful and needed to have women coming forward to break their silence; it is vital and important for female equality. Period.”
“A lot of the stories are horrific and need to be brought to light,” Smart continued. “This story, about my husband, Carter Oosterhouse, on the other hand, is now taking it too far and boundaries are being crossed.”
“When you are in a CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP, then you need to take responsibility for engaging in that and not play victim,” the Just Friends star added. “IF a relationship does not work out the way you want it to, then sorry, but that is the risk you take when getting intimate with another person.”
