Karamo Brown is ready to open up about his experience filming Queer Eye with his Fab Five costars.
In a new interview, Brown, 45, described a work environment filled with alleged bullying and poor behavior.
“Everyone would just say, ‘Well, that’s just that person,’ instead of saying, ‘This behavior does not fly in a professional environment,’” Brown claimed to People in an interview published Tuesday, June 2. “It impacted me negatively, consistently.”
Brown alleged that the original cast of the Netflix series, which included Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski and Bobby Berk, first became divided after a sexual harassment complaint was filed against him in the first few weeks of filming.
In his latest interview, Brown claimed that he and one of the Fab Five members — whom he declined to name publicly — had a “fun and flirty” relationship during the show’s casting phase.
Brown initially accused his costar of filing the complaint, but he later learned an anonymous third party was responsible. (Brown says he was cleared of any wrongdoing.)
“It broke us,” he shared. “We all knew the divide between us.”
Brown also recalled an unnamed senior leader telling him bluntly, “You are not a star. I will get rid of you tomorrow.”
“I was depressed,” Brown — who was described as the show’s “culture and lifestyle expert” — shared. “It felt shameful because I was teaching people that they could be better, but in my own life, I was trapped.”
Us Weekly has reached out to Netflix for comment.
In a statement to People, Queer Eye’s production company ITV America and Scout Productions said, “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.”
The statement continued, “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. We remain incredibly proud of Queer Eye’s lasting impact and the community the series helped build over more than 20 years.”
Brown surprised fans in January when he pulled out of all press appearances for the 10th and final season of the show.
“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,” Brown said in a statement at the time.
Nearly six months later, Brown is happy to report that he’s in a much better headspace.
“I did a complete 180 in my life,” he told People. “This new chapter feels safe and it feels triumphant because it has been a year-and-a-half of real work on myself.”
