Karamo Brown Skips Queer Eye Final Season Press Tour

Our Queer Eye family seems to be fighting… again. And yeah, folks, this one caught all of us off guard. As the Fab Five were set to kick off their morning show rounds to promote the final season of Queer Eye—dropping tomorrow on Netflix—fans quickly noticed something was off. Karamo Brown did not join his co-stars Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, and Jeremiah Brent for their first stop on CBS Mornings, pulling out less than an hour before the interview was scheduled to begin.

Naturally, questions started swirling online almost immediately. Why wasn’t Karamo there? And what could have happened for him to make such a last-minute call? On CBS Mornings, anchor Gayle King explained that the show received word shortly before airtime that Brown would not be appearing on camera. She then read part of a statement Karamo shared with the show, in which he emphasized his need to prioritize his mental health.

“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,” Brown wrote. “Which is why I can’t be there today.”

King also noted that Karamo’s assistant shared that he was “worried about being bullied,” a detail that immediately sparked speculation about possible tension behind the scenes among the Fab Five.

Antoni Porowski didn’t shy away from acknowledging the moment. “Surprised is a fair understatement,” he said of Brown’s absence. Still, he was careful to frame the situation with compassion. “Our Queer Eye family, we’ve 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… we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and honor the legacy of this past decade of our lives.”

Later that morning, during their appearance on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle, host Sheinelle Jones revealed that they had also received an email from Karamo’s assistant, which stated, in part, that he has “felt mentally and emotionally abused for years” and had been advised by his therapist to protect his peace by not attending.

Karamo himself addressed fans through a prerecorded video message, congratulating Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones on their show’s launch before turning his attention to Queer Eye. “I just want to say thank you to all the fans who supported us and rocked with us for 10 seasons,” he said. “This new season is going to be amazing. You’re going to love every minute of it.”

He continued, “Just like the themes of this season, I’m modeling what I believe is most important… Love yourselves and protect yourselves. That’s why I’m here, at home, and not there.” Brown also took time to shout out the crew, the fans, and Netflix executives, closing with gratitude for his decade-long run on the show.

Despite clearly being shaken by the situation, the rest of the Fab Five consistently voiced their support for Karamo’s decision. “We’re definitely a little surprised,” Porowski admitted, “but at the same time… we fully support him taking care of himself.”

Jonathan Van Ness echoed that sentiment with characteristic warmth. “One thing I’ve been so honored to learn about Karamo is that we have to meet people where they’re at,” JVN shared. “He has taught people to center on what they need. And I’m actually really proud of him… I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like that sometimes.”

Tan France also worked to redirect the focus back to what he believes truly matters. “To be fair, the show was never about us,” he said. “Yes, we were the faces of the show, but the show is about our heroes… the legacy of the show is such positivity and beauty and just trying to make this world a better place.” He added that what the group—including Karamo—has accomplished together has been “profound.”

All of this arrives just two years after Queer Eye experienced another very public shake-up, when original cast member Bobby Berk exited the series after eight seasons. At the time, Bobby addressed reported tension with Tan France, clarifying that their issues were personal and unrelated to the show itself. Following his departure, Jeremiah Brent joined the Fab Five for the final two seasons and has spoken openly about how supported he’s felt within the group. “My experience in this group has been transformative,” he shared on CBS Mornings. “I felt safe and supported by these people every second.”

At the end of the day, we don’t know what happened behind the scenes, and it’s not our place to speculate beyond what’s been shared. What we do know is that Queer Eye has spent ten seasons encouraging vulnerability, self-love, growth, and chosen family, especially within LGBTQ+ communities that so often don’t get that kind of space on mainstream television.

We sincerely hope this moment doesn’t tarnish the show’s legacy, because what the Fab Five have built together over almost a decade has been genuinely beautiful. We’re wishing Karamo peace and healing as he prioritizes his mental health, and we’re hoping the rest of the Fab Five continue to navigate this moment with the empathy and understanding they’ve consistently shown.

If more developments unfold, we’ll keep you updated. For now, the final season of Queer Eye arrives tomorrow on Netflix, and whatever’s happening off-camera, the impact of this show remains undeniable.

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Queer Eye Season 10 arrives on Netflix tomorrow, January 21, exclusively on Netflix. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!

Featured Image: Images Courtesy of Netflix. Photos by Christopher Smith and Bronson Farr.