![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e62ebf15e5c1c85e672a7bd5b505b41ecb-queereye-cbs.rhorizontal.w700.png\")
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\n A group alone.
\n Photo: CBS Mornings via YouTube\n <\/p>\n
The rumored iciest friend group<\/a> in show business just got even chillier. While promoting Queer Eye<\/a>\u2019s tenth and final season on Netflix, the cast stopped by CBS Mornings<\/a> on January 20, the day before the season dropped. Things did not go as planned. \u201cAs you see, we call it Fab Five, but one of the Fab Five is not here,\u201d Gayle King said right off the bat. \u201cWe received word less than an hour ago that Karamo Brown is not going to be joining us.\u201d The Frowning Four sat in silence as she spoke.<\/p>\n Brown, as fans know, has been the culture expert on the show for the duration of the reboot, making his absence in this final round of interviews with his onscreen friends huge. To explain his self-ejection from the Fab Five, Brown sent over a statement less than an hour before the planned appearance, which King read live on-air: \u201cI 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\u2019t be there today.\u201d King also revealed to the audience that his assistant said Brown was worried about \u201cbeing bullied.\u201d<\/p>\n On the day leading up to the season-ten release, Brown didn\u2019t just skip meeting King. The other members of the cast went on Today With Jenna & Sheinelle<\/a>, also without Brown, and Today received a similar message explaining his absence. \u201cKaramo has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years,\u201d Sheinelle Jones quoted. \u201cHe has been advised by his therapist to protect himself and his peace by not attending.\u201d He did, however, send a video to the show. \u201cJust like the themes of this season, I\u2019m modeling what I believe is most important,\u201d Brown said in the video. \u201cLove yourselves and protect yourselves. That\u2019s why I\u2019m here at home and not there.\u201d He then gave a shout-out to the crew, the fans, and the executives at Netflix, but he did not name any of his fellow cast members.<\/p>\n The bullying claim seemed to surprise Brown\u2019s castmates, but it\u2019s not the first time they\u2019ve dealt with intragroup drama going public. Previously, there was a behind-the-scenes scandal involving Bobby Berk, the show\u2019s interior-design expert, who was replaced by Jeremiah Brent after season eight. \u201cTan and I had a moment,\u201d Berk confirmed in an\u00a0interview\u00a0with\u00a0Vanity Fair<\/a>. \u201cThere was a situation, and that\u2019s between Tan [France] and I, and it has nothing to do with the show. It was something personal that had been brewing \u2014 and nothing romantic, just to clarify that.\u201d Brown seemed to stay close with Berk after he left, making his allegiance clear on Berk\u2019s departure Instagram post. \u201cI\u2019m about to be at Netflix\u2019s door & e-mails telling them you can\u2019t leave!\u201d Brown wrote. \u201cWho is coming with me?\u201d Rolling Stone<\/a> has also reported allegations that grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness was a \u201cmonster\u201d to work with. Ahead of their scheduled appearances on the morning shows, it appears that Brown unfollowed France, Porowski, and Van Ness on Instagram. However, he still follows both the new guy, Brent, and the departed Berk.<\/p>\n During today\u2019s talk-show appearances, it was not immediately clear whom Brown and his team were calling bullies, but his castmates were quick to defend themselves. \u201cSurprised is a fair understatement,\u201d food expert Antoni Porowski said on CBS Mornings. \u201cI will say, our Queer Eye family, we\u2019ve been doing this almost a decade, which is pretty wild to believe. And families are complicated, and we\u2019re definitely not excluded from that.\u201d<\/p>\n As he spoke on CBS, Porowski held hands with fashion expert France, while Van Ness and Brent held hands separately. \u201cTwo things can exist at the same time,\u201d Porowski continued. \u201cWhile that is definitely true, we\u2019re also here to showcase these incredible heroes that we have.\u201d Brent added, through near tears, \u201cMy experience in the group has been transformative. To see the way that they move through the world, the way that they have taught me so much about life and friendship and love, I have felt safe and supported by the people up here.\u201d<\/p>\n King then asked if anyone in the group had something to say to Brown. \u201cI would say that one thing I have been so honored to learn from Karamo in my time is, just like he said in that package, we have to meet people where they\u2019re at,\u201d Van Ness said. \u201cHe has taught people to center what they need, and I\u2019m actually really proud of him. Center what you need; do the things you need to do to take care of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking on Today, France added that he thought the legacy of the show was still intact. \u201cWe got to bring people together in what I think is the most beautiful way,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m so proud of what we\u2019ve achieved, including Karamo. What we\u2019ve all done together, the work that he has done and the rest of us, has been profound.\u201d<\/p>\n The next day, on January 21, Porowski, Van Ness, France, and Brent all posted tributes to the show on Instagram in honor of the season-ten premiere. Brent chose to tag all his castmates; Porowski and JVN didn\u2019t tag anybody; France tagged everyone but Brown. In Porowski\u2019s Instagram comment section<\/a>, someone claimed that the BTS drama made it hard for them to watch the show because it made the cast\u2019s bond seem inauthentic. \u201cA lot of us come from complicated families and still have jobs and positive things we\u2019re passionate about,\u201d Porowski replied. \u201cAuthenticity is about being honest about the complexities of life and knowing two things can exist at the same time.\u201d But what \u201ccomplexity of life\u201d is actually going on here? Hopefully, one of them will soon be honest and clear about that.<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n