‘Queer Eye’ Cast Reacts to Karamo Brown’s Allegations of Emotional and Mental Abuse

There seems to be trouble among the Queer Eye cast as Karamo Brown missed a series of morning show interviews that he was supposed to attend with his four costars.

Brown was supposed to appear alongside Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness and Jeremiah Brent on Tuesday, January 20, on CBS Morning and Today. However, in a series of statements, he explained his absence and alleged feeling “mentally and emotionally abused.”

The group first appeared on CBS Mornings on Tuesday, January 20 to promote the 10th and final season of their Netflix show. During the episode, Gayle King read a statement from Brown about his absence that read: “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.”

King added that Brown’s assistant noted the lifestyle expert, 45, was “worried about being bullied.”

“Surprised is a fair understatement,” Porowski, 41, said when asked for a reaction. “I will say, our Queer Eye family, we’ve been doing this for almost a decade — which is pretty wild to believe — and families are complicated and we’re definitely not excluded from that.”

“But I think two things can exist at the same time,” he continued. “And while that is definitely true, we’re also here to showcase these incredible heroes we have and really honor the legacy of this past decade of our lives and all these wonderful heroes that we’ve had the blessing of getting to meet and have conversations with.”

“I would say one thing that I’ve been so honored to learn from Karamo in my time. Just like he said in that package, we have to meet people where they’re at,” added Van Ness, 38. “And he has taught people to center what they need, and I’m actually really proud of him. Center on what you need, do the things you need to do to take care of you. I’d be lying if I didn’t feel like that sometimes. I think it’s really beautiful. I think we do need to center ourselves sometimes, and my hat off to him for doing that today.”

On Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Brown sent in a video package highlighting the show and urging people to watch. He also issued a statement via his assistant noting 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 package, Brown thanked the crew and Netflix, and a slew of other people who worked on the tenth season of the show. He did not mention his costars.

According to People, Brown unfollowed all of his costars except Brent on social media.