Five months after abruptly departing from the Fab Five in January, Karamo Brown is finally discussing the years of behind-the-scenes toxicity that led him to skip a televised CBS reunion interview promoting Queer Eye's 10th and final season.

A Breaking Point

When Brown's assistant informed CBS Mornings that the culture expert was unable to attend due to concerns about being bullied, it shocked both his castmates and fans. In a newly published interview with People, Brown opened up about what triggered his exit: witnessing his mother's pain after she visited the set and heard several of his castmates speaking negatively about him. "The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother's eyes," he said. "It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider."

According to multiple sources cited by People, those costmates included Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness. Brown no longer follows any of them on Instagram, though he maintains contact with Jeremiah Brent and original cast member Bobby Berk.

Years of Unaddressed Behavior

Brown described a pattern of toxicity throughout his decade on the show that went unchecked by production leadership. "Everyone would just say, 'Well, that's just that person,' instead of saying, 'This behavior does not fly in a professional environment,'" he told People. "It impacted me negatively, consistently."

The tension traces back to season one in 2017, when a sexual harassment complaint was filed against Brown early in filming. Though the complaint was investigated and later dropped, Brown said the incident fractured the group's dynamic permanently. "It broke us," he reflected. "We all knew the divide between us."

The production companies, ITV America and Scout Productions, disputed Brown's account, stating in a response to People that "any issues brought to production leadership were taken seriously and addressed appropriately" and that they "consistently fostered a respectful and professional environment." However, an insider interviewed by People acknowledged the show helped many people but admitted the on-set environment was "toxic as hell in reality."

Why He Stayed—and Why He Left

For years, Brown continued working alongside his castmates because of the show's genuine positive impact on the families and communities featured. "When I saw the transformations that were happening because of the five of us, I was like, 'Baby, okay, I can put up with this,'" he explained. But his mental health suffered in the process. "I was depressed," Brown said. "It felt shameful because I was teaching people that they could be better, but in my own life, I was trapped."

His therapist ultimately advised him to prioritize his peace and wellbeing by not attending the reunion. At the time, Brown released a statement emphasizing the importance of protecting one's mental health—a message he'd spent ten seasons trying to share with viewers. Now, he's taking his own advice.

Sources: Queerty, them., Out

Cover photo: Deb Haaland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

workplace toxicity

Karamo Brown Opens Up About Queer Eye's Behind-the-Scenes Toxicity