The stars of Netflix's "Queer Eye" graced the network's morning shows on Tuesday to promote the upcoming final season of the beloved series, but one of the group chose to remain at home. Karamo Brown, the show's culture expert, sent a statement to CBS Mornings, the first stop for the "Queer Eye" team on Tuesday, explaining that he had opted out of the interview to prioritize his mental health. Brown's assistant also conveyed a message to NBC's "Today" stating that "Karamo has been mentally and emotionally abused for years."
Brown's co-stars, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, and Jeremiah Brent, expressed surprise at his absence. On CBS Mornings, anchor Gayle King shared that the show had received word less than an hour before the cast's appearance that Brown wouldn't be joining them. King read part of a statement from Brown, which read: "I hope everyone remembers the main theme I have tried to teach them over the past decade, which is to focus on and protect their mental health/peace from people or a world who seek to destroy it; which is why I can't be there today." King also mentioned that Brown's assistant had said he was "worried about being bullied."
Porowski, in particular, was taken aback by Brown's absence. He said, "Surprised is a fair understatement." He continued, "Our 'Queer Eye' family has been doing this for almost a decade, which is pretty wild to believe. And families are complicated. We're definitely not excluded from that. But I think two things can exist at the same time—while that is definitely true, we're also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and honor the legacy of this past decade of our lives."
Van Ness added that Brown "has taught people to center what they need. I'm actually really proud of him." On the fourth hour of "Today," co-host Sheinelle Jones read a statement from Brown's assistant that stated in part that "Karamo has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years, and he's been advised by his therapist to protect himself and his peace by not attending." Brown did send a video message thanking "Queer Eye's" fans and reiterating one of the themes of the final season: "Love yourselves and protect yourselves. That's why I'm here at home and not there."
Porowski said, "We're so sorry that he's not here. We fully support, as a collective unit, him taking care of himself." Brown didn't specify any instances of emotional or mental abuse, nor did his co-stars directly address that part of his statement or his fears of being bullied, as King had mentioned on CBS. The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Netflix for comment.
