Karamo Brown made headlines in January 2026 when he opted out of promoting the 10th and final season of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” alongside his castmates. Now, months later, the former daytime talk show host is not only sharing more details about his decision, but also reflecting on his sobriety journey after a previous relapse.
In addition to Brown, the cast of “Queer Eye” included Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tanning FranceAnd Jeremy Brent. Bobby Berk also appeared on the series for the first eight seasons before leaving in 2023. Brent joined in 2024.
Karamo Brown says he didn’t feel protected by the team behind ‘Queer Eye’
Brown interviewed PEOPLE in June 2026. During the discussion, he detailed his decision to first appear on “CBS Mornings” with his costars and then opt out of all further promotional commitments with them.
Brown initially noted that he and the Fab Five “always came together because of the fans.” However, before his appearance, he changed his mind. According to him, “But because of the work I had done on myself, I asked myself, ‘If I stay quiet right now and pretend to be sick or something, whose peace am I protecting?'”
The 45-year-old media personality later told the outlet that the group had become toxic and there had also been instances of bullying. Unfortunately, in his experience, the show’s executives never took a strong stance against it.
He said: “Everyone would just say, ‘Well, it’s just that person,’ instead of saying, ‘This behavior isn’t appropriate in a professional environment.’ This had a negative and constant impact on me.
Brown continued the interview by describing what ultimately led to his latest fallout with his “Queer Eye” costars. As was previously reported, the media personality said his mother visited him on the set of the Netflix show 2025. During the visit, she overheard some of her co-workers talking bad about him.
For context, multiple sources confirmed the conversation included Van Ness, France and Porowski. However, Brown did not name the culprits. He explained: “What I know are the tears I saw in my mother’s eyes. »
Brown added: “[She kept repeating]’I thought they were your friends.’ It made me realize that I could no longer stay silent about how often I felt like an outsider.
Regarding what initially led to the group’s demise, Brown explained that it stemmed from an anonymous sexual harassment complaint filed against him early in the series. Importantly, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
Karamo released a statement ahead of scheduled “CBS Mornings” appearance
Brown and the cast of “Queer Eye” were scheduled to appear on “CBS Mornings” on January 20. However, in his absence, the host Gayle King read a statement he had prepared.
According to Variety, “I hope everyone remembers the main theme I’ve tried to teach them over the past decade, which is to focus and protect their sanity/peace from people or a world that seeks to destroy it, which is why I can’t be here today.”
During this awkward interaction, King also mentioned that Brown’s assistant also discussed bullying from the cast.
Brown also opened up about his sobriety
Later in the PEOPLE interview, Brown also opened up about his years-long sobriety journey, revealing that in 2006, following a suicide attempt, he learned he had become a father. He remembers: “The minute I saw [Jason]something in me healed. I understood my goal.
The former “Queer Eye” star continued, “My son saved my life 1000 percent. Because he existed, it made me realize the greatest things in life.”
However, Brown then relapsed in 2018, noting: “one drink would lead to weed, cocaine, pills. I wasn’t doing well, but I pretended to be. I was so broken.” Regarding his life today, he shared, “I haven’t had a single drink, a single cocktail, nothing.”
He also shared that he uses a 12-step program and attends regular meetings as part of his recovery.
Brown’s daytime talk show was recently canceled
Brown’s syndicated daytime talk show, “Karamo”, premiered in 2022. The show quickly became a hit with audiences and its segments often went viral on social media. However, NBCUniversal ended this conflict-focused narrative in March 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
It’s worth noting that his show wasn’t the only talk show canceled. The long-running series “Steve Wilkos” also suffered the same fate as “Access Hollywood.” “Karamo” is expected to air throughout the summer.
