Dealing with reality TV drama is something Carson Kressley knows about all too well.
The cast of Netflix’s Queer Eye has made headlines over the past few months amid reports of costar feuds and onset conflict. Jonathan Van Ness, in particular, was accused of having “rage issues” by several crew members in a Rolling Stone exposé published on Tuesday, March 5.
“I didn’t read the actual article because that required too much research,” Kressly, 54, admitted to Us Weekly on Wednesday, March 6, while chatting about his partnership with ALG Vacations.
Having met Van Ness, 36, and the rest of the cast over the years, Kressley told Us “it would be unfortunate” if the claims about the TV personality were true. “I do know that it’s a very high-pressure environment. There’s very little time to get things done. There’s sometimes very little budget to get things done, and it can be really stressful,” he added. “I know, I lived it. And I had, I think, the easy job of dressing people and going shopping. I was like, ‘This isn’t stressful at all.’”
Kressley, who starred on the original Queer Eye from 2003 to 2007, went on to note that fans have yet to hear “the cast members’ side of the story,” adding, “I think we need to hear what they have to say and I do understand that it’s stressful, and they’ve all been great guys whenever I’ve interacted with them. So, I’m going to err on the side of, ‘It was a bad day.’”
In the Rolling Stone exposé, several crew members described working with Van Ness as “difficult” and claimed they “didn’t want to ever share the spotlight with anyone.” Another production member alleged that Van Ness always needed “somebody to point out and blame and make the villain of the day.” Van Ness has not publicly addressed the allegations against them.
In addition to Van Ness, Bobby Berk and Tan France sparked feud rumors when Berk, 42, unfollowed France, 40, shortly after announcing his exit from the series in November 2023. A source exclusively told Us at the time that Berk departed the show because “his heart was not in it and the rest of the cast started to resent him because of that.”
Berk, who will be replaced with Jeremiah Brent for season 9, confirmed there was conflict between him and France, 40, in a January interview with Vanity Fair. “Tan and I had a moment,” he explained. “There was a situation — and that’s between Tan and I — and it has nothing to do with the show. It was something personal that had been brewing and nothing romantic, just to clarify that.”
Kressley said he and his former Queer Eye cast mates “absolutely” went through their fair share of drama. “There are days when things are, like, everything is going wrong and you want to do such a great job for the client … And sometimes when you care so much about the outcome, you will get frustrated or upset if it’s not going well,” he shared. “So hopefully they get it all sorted out.”
As the Queer Eye drama continues to play out, Kressley is keeping his focus on helping fans put together the perfect trip through his latest partnership. “ALG Vacations has an amazing website called traveladvisorsgetyouthere.com,” he shared, noting that his No. 1 tip for planning a getaway is to “book early.”
“A lot of these resorts, all inclusives, even theme parks, are looking to fill their calendar for the year,” Kressley explained. “So, if you’re booking early, they don’t have as many bookings for that time. They’re going to give you a better deal so that they know they have that business coming up.”
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
