Karamo Brown made headlines Tuesday morning when he abruptly withdrew from multiple television interviews scheduled to promote the final season of Netflix’s Queer Eye. The 45-year-old reality star was noticeably absent from both CBS Mornings and Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, leaving his castmates to address his decision live on air.
The culture expert’s assistant notified CBS Mornings less than an hour before the show aired that Brown would not be attending. According to host Gayle King, the cast member wouldn’t be joining the on-set interview due to mental health concerns and, in part, because he was worried about being bullied.
In a statement read by King, Karamo Brown explained 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,” the statement said.
The situation became more serious when Brown addressed his absence from the Today show. According to reports, Brown sent in a video message after telling the NBC morning show in a statement that he “has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years,” and was advised by his therapist “to protect himself and his peace by not attending”.
In the video message sent to Today, Brown maintained his position on self-care. “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,” he said with a smile.
Meanwhile, his Queer Eye colleagues—Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent—were left to navigate the awkward situation during both interviews. Porowski addressed the unexpected turn of events during the CBS Mornings appearance.
“I think, definitely a little surprised, but at the same time, look, we’re so sorry that he’s not here,” he said. “We fully support, I think as a collective unit, him 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.”
Van Ness praised Brown for prioritizing his mental health. “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 take care of you. I’d be lying if I didn’t feel like that sometimes,” Van Ness stated during the interview.
This isn’t the first time the Queer Eye cast has faced internal tensions. Original cast member Bobby Berk departed the show in 2023 after eight seasons, later revealing in a Vanity Fair interview that he had personal issues with France. “Tan and I had a moment,” he said of France at the time. “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.”
The interviews were intended to promote Queer Eye‘s tenth and final season, set in Washington, D.C. Despite the drama surrounding Brown’s absence, the remaining cast members expressed pride in the show’s decade-long legacy and the impact it has had on countless lives.
