The highly anticipated final season of *Queer Eye* arrived this week, but the premiere has been eclipsed by a surprising and unsettling rift within the beloved Fab Five.
Just as the team – Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Jonathan Van Ness, and Jeremiah Brent – began bringing their signature warmth to Washington, D.C., a wave of digital distancing unfolded, leaving fans questioning what’s happening behind the scenes.
Karamo Brown, the show’s culture expert, has unfollowed nearly all of his co-stars on Instagram, a move that sparked immediate speculation and concern among devoted viewers.
Notably, Brown still follows interior design expert Jeremiah Brent and Bobby Berk, Brent’s predecessor, while Porowski, France, and Van Ness have all ceased following Brown and Berk themselves. Brent continues to follow everyone except Berk.
The unfolding drama began with Brown’s unexpected absence from scheduled interviews alongside the rest of the cast, a decision announced with less than an hour’s notice to CBS Mornings.
Brown released a statement emphasizing the importance of mental health, stating he needed to “protect [his] mental health/peace from people or a world who seek to destroy it.”
Further details emerged through Brown’s assistant, who revealed he had been feeling “mentally and emotionally abused for years” and was acting on the advice of his therapist to prioritize his well-being.
While remaining diplomatic, Antoni Porowski acknowledged the situation as a complex family dynamic, stating, “Families are complicated and we’re definitely not excluded from that.”
Jonathan Van Ness echoed this sentiment, praising Brown for prioritizing his own needs and offering support for his decision.
This latest turmoil follows the departure of Bobby Berk in 2023, after the show’s eighth season, which already hinted at underlying tensions within the original Fab Five.
Recent reports have suggested deeper issues within the production, painting a picture of a team grappling with internal struggles even as they offered guidance and support to others on screen.
The final season of *Queer Eye* promises emotional makeovers for its “heroes,” but the most compelling drama may be unfolding among the hosts themselves.
