Karama Brown “can no longer remain silent about how often she was made to feel like an outsider” on the set of “Queer Eye.”
The reality star spoke to People magazine in an interview published Tuesday about the final straw that led to his bombshell announcement in January that he and his fellow cast members would no longer do press work.
The 45-year-old, who starred in 10 seasons of the reboot alongside Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski and Tan France, confirmed reports that his mother heard cast members badmouthing him on set.
Brown recalled her mother telling her “with tears in her eyes” and repeating, “I thought they were your friends.”
The outlet confirmed that Van Ness, France and Porofsky are also among the rumored co-stars.
Representatives for Van Ness, Porowski, Burke and France did not immediately respond to Page Six’s requests for comment.
When Brown made headlines earlier this year for opting out of the season 10 promotional tour, he made the cryptic statement that he was “protecting my mental health and peace from people who would destroy it.”
At the time, he pointed out: “If I just shut up and pretend to be sick or something right now, whose peace will I be protecting?”
Brown, who felt “depressed” and “trapped” during filming, confessed on Tuesday that he experienced behavior that was “not acceptable in a professional environment” and that it “consistently had a negative impact on (him).”
Van Ness’ relationship with France was particularly strained, multiple sources told People magazine.
“Jonathan often expressed his dissatisfaction openly,” the source explained. “Some were more likely to cause tension behind the scenes.”
However, Brown praised Van Ness’ recent “growth,” saying, “The work that Jonathan puts into himself is admirable and inspirational. … I respect the way he’s leading his life now.”
He confessed, “There were times when I was hurt and verbally abusive. I recognize my role and how what I did affected people.”
Brown claimed that the rift began after he was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous third party, which “destroyed” his “fun and easy-going” relationship with his co-stars and “split” the group.
Brown claimed he was cleared of any wrongdoing, but sources disputed this and acknowledged that an investigation had been conducted and “all involved wanted the show to continue.”
An insider admitted to People that the series was “incredibly toxic” behind the scenes — and Brown claimed that senior executives once threatened to “fire” him over creative differences.
However, the show’s producers ITV America and Scout Productions “strongly disagree” with Brown’s characterization.
“Throughout the course of the series, all issues brought to production were taken seriously and appropriately addressed,” a statement to the magazine said. “The production consistently fosters a respectful and professional environment for cast and crew, including ongoing training, coaching and other support for the cast, and clear workplace policies and practices are maintained throughout filming.”
When rumors of a cast rift swirled in January, Porowski subtly referenced the show in an Instagram post.
“It doesn’t matter how it ended or even if it ended. The journey of it all is the part I want to keep in mind,” the 42-year-old told his social media followers.
When fans criticized the “chaos” going on behind the scenes, Porowski wrote, “Being authentic means being honest about the complexities of life and knowing that two things can exist at the same time.”
Bobby Berk, who left the show after Season 8 and was replaced by Jeremiah Brent, cheekily promoted his HGTV show amid speculation.
The 44-year-old “Junk or Jackpot?” star, in particular, admitted he had a feud with France, 43, in 2024, but denied that his clash with the fashion designer “mostly” had anything to do with his departure.
“Queer Eye” feud aside, Brown revealed elsewhere in Tuesday’s cover story that he relapsed in 2018 and struggled with sobriety for years.
Now sober, he gushed: “I haven’t had a drink, I haven’t had a cocktail, I haven’t had anything.”
