'Queer Eye's Karamo Brown skips interviews as show’s final season is shrouded in drama

“Queer Eye” is entering its tenth and final season and it seems like the cast is more than ready to say goodbye to one another.

Karamo Brown opted to skip multiple interview appearances alongside his co-stars Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent.

Brown released a statement to “CBS Mornings” when he dropped out of his appearance an hour before the show aired.

Gayle King read the statement to Brown’s co-stars.

“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 the statement.

Porowski admitted that “surprised is a fair understatement,” adding, “I will say, our Queer Eye family, we’ve been doing this for almost a decade — which is pretty wild to believe — and families are complicated and we’re definitely not excluded from that. But I think two things can exist at the same time. And while that is definitely true, we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and really honor the legacy of this past decade of our lives and all these wonderful heroes that we’ve had the blessing of getting to meet and have conversations with.”

Brown’s co-stars had to address the issue again when he sent in a video message to “Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.” A statement from Brown said he “has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years,” and was advised by his therapist “to protect himself and his peace by not attending.”

His video message echoed his statement, with Brown saying, “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.”

Porowski took the reins addressing the comments again, saying he was “a little surprised” but was “sorry” he couldn’t be there and the cast “fully support” Brown “taking care of himself and I think to echo what he’s saying, we’re here to honor the legacy of a decade, which is so wild to think about and all the heroes we’ve helped. And to just really put a spotlight on the incredible heroes we have this season in D.C.”

Van Ness also said they were “proud” of Brown for “centering what he needs to do and taking care of himself. It’s not easy and that’s not an easy statement to make and I’m really proud of him for doing that. Obviously, we wish that he was here, but I am really proud of him for doing what he needs to do for what’s best for himself.”

Brown was one of the original members of “Queer Eye,” which was a revamped version of the original “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” series, which aired from 2003 to 2007.

This is not the first time the “Queer Eye” cast has faced some interpersonal drama.

In 2023, Bobby Berk, an original member of the show’s “Fab Five” left the show after eight seasons.

In 2024, he told Vanity Fair he had “a moment” with costar France. “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.”

“Should I have unfollowed Tan? No,” Berk continued. “Maybe I should have just muted him. But that day, I was angry, and that’s the end of it. We became like siblings — and siblings are always going to fight.”

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