Inside the 'Toxic' “Queer Eye” Drama and What Led to a 'Divide' Between the Fab Five

Jordana ComiterWed, June 3, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTC

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Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent and Karamo Brown.
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix -

When Queer Eye premiered on Netflix in 2018, the Fab Five included Bobby Berk, Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski and Tan France

Berk left the series after eight seasons in November 2023, citing other commitments and Netflix's unexpected renewal of the series

Brown shared in January 2026 that he felt "mentally and emotionally abused for years" on set

Things aren't so fab for Queer Eye's "Fab Five."

The Emmy-winning Netflix reality reboot ran for 10 seasons from 2018 until 2026. The show originally followed the Fab Five — interior design specialist Bobby Berk, grooming expert Jonathan Van Ness, cultural expert Karamo Brown, food and wine connoisseur Antoni Porowski and fashion guru Tan France — as they set out on a mission to improve people's lifestyles.

The cast saw its first big shakeup in November 2023, when the interior designer announced on Instagram that he was leaving the show after eight seasons.

Over two years later, Queer Eye fans learned of a feud behind the scenes when Brown skipped a series of January 2026 press interviews. While his costars appeared on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle, Brown instead told the NBC morning show in a statement that he "has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years."

Now, the cultural expert is breaking his silence on the show's "toxic" drama, telling PEOPLE in June 2026 about one incident that really "broke" the Fab Five before the show had even premiered.

Here's everything to know about the Queer Eye drama.

Berk announced his exit from the show in 2023 after his original contract ended

Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent, and Karamo Brown on 'Queer Eye' season 1
Credit: Courtesy of Netflix

Berk left the show ahead of its ninth season, but an inside source told PEOPLE that his departure was "unrelated to relationships" with his castmates, whom he was "amicable" with.

However, following his exit announcement, rumors of a rift between Berk and France surfaced after fans noticed that he unfollowed the fashion expert. Berk then told Vanity Fair in January 2024 that there was a "situation" between them that made him "angry," but assured fans that he and France "will be fine."

Berk then shared that his exit came down to other commitments made when he thought the show was over.

When Queer Eye began, he and his costars had initially signed a seven-cycle contract that wrapped in September 2022 after they filmed two seasons in New Orleans.

"We thought we were done," Berk said. "Mentally and emotionally, I thought we all moved on. I know I did, and I started planning other things."

However, the design guru said that Netflix decided to renew the series and offer the Fab Five a new contract in the fall of 2023, after the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes created a shortage of original programming.

Berk decided not to sign the new contract, while the remaining four members signed it just before the deadline. Speaking about his other plans, Berk said he "wasn't willing to change those."

"I would have had to pump the brakes on multiple other projects that are already in process. We had mentally just prepared ourselves to move on — that's why I left," he continued.

Berk's spot in the Fab Five was replaced by Jeremiah Brent, who took on the role of interior design expert and decorating guru for the show's final two seasons.

Brown first spoke about feeling "mentally and verbally abused" while skipping cast press appearances in early 2026

In early January 2026, Brown opted to skip multiple morning show interviews alongside his costars, including Porowski, France, Van Ness and Brent.

CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King shared the news that he had pulled out of his appearance an hour before it aired and released a statement as to what led to his decision.

"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," the statement read.

When his costars appeared on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle later that day, the cultural expert told the NBC morning show in another statement that he "has felt mentally and emotionally abused for years" — and that he was advised by his therapist “to protect himself and his peace by not attending." (Brown did not specify who caused him to feel this way.)

At the time, a source told PEOPLE that Brown's falling out with his costars came after his "mom was on set and overheard them talking about Karamo and she let him know."

"It wasn't meant to be gossiping or bullying but it caused a break in his relationship with Antoni, Tan and Jonathan," the insider said.

Brown's costars reacted to Brown's statements live on air, denying his claims of an abusive set environment

Jonathan Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Jeremiah Brent, Antoni Porowski in episode 903 of 'Queer Eye'
Credit: Courtesy Of Netflix

Brown's costars were asked about his decision and comments as they appeared on the live broadcasts.

After King read Brown's statement about and asked the other Fab Five members for their thoughts, Porowski responded, "Surprised is a fair understatement."

"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," he said.

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"But I think two things can exist at the same time," Porowski added. "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."

Brent also chimed in, saying that his "experience in this group has been transformative. To see the way that they move through the world, the way that they have taught me so much about life and friendship and love. I have felt safe and supported by the people up here."

Brown's costars were asked about his absence again following his subsequent statement on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle.

In response to that statement, they commended their former costar for "taking care of himself" and went on to highlight the legacy of the series.

Berk subtly referenced the drama in a since-deleted January 2026 TikTok, posting a video using the Chappell Roan song "My Kink is Karma."

In the comments of the post, one fan wrote: "I'm actually kind of mad they soured the ending [of Queer Eye] like they did. The fans deserved better. But this gave me a laugh. Glad to see you're doing well, Bobby!" Berk replied, "Same tbh which is why I rode off into the sunset in silence."

Brown revealed in June 2026 that a sexual harassment complaint filed against him “broke" the Fab Five

In a June 2026 interview with PEOPLE, Brown shared that the group first became divided in the first few weeks of filming, when a sexual harassment complaint was filed against him.

Brown claimed that during the casting phase of the show, he and another member of the Fab Five — whom he declined to name publicly — had a "fun and flirty" relationship. Brown, who said he was cleared of any wrongdoing, initially accused his costar of filing the complaint. However, he later learned it came from an anonymous third party.

"It broke us," he said of the group. "We all knew the divide between us."

A source inside production disputed Brown's “characterization of events” to PEOPLE, but confirmed an investigation was conducted and said "all parties wanted to move on with the show."

While Brown appeared on the show for its entirety, he confirmed to PEOPLE that the final straw for him came when his mom overheard his costars speaking negatively about him while visiting the set in 2025. (Multiple sources confirmed to PEOPLE that Van Ness, France and Porowski were involved in the conversation.)

Brown said he did not push his mom to learn the details of what had been said, but her reaction made him realize that he could "no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider."

Brown's former costars did not respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

The cast allegedly faced mounting pressure from a senior executive

Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jeremiah Brent and Karamo Brown on 'Queer Eye'
Credit: Jenny Anderson/Netflix

The alleged pressure the Fab Five faced from executives also contributed to the toxic environment on set, Brown told PEOPLE. He recalled that, in the early days of filming, a senior leader told him he was "not a star" and that they threatened to "get rid" of him "tomorrow."

A show insider echoed Brown's claims to PEOPLE, saying that in the first season of the show, the senior figure often made threats about employment to the Fab Five.

"[They] wanted them to come in and rip the heroes' houses apart and tell them how ugly everything was because that's what the original Fab Five did," the insider said, referencing the original 2000s Bravo hit, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. "That catty gayness worked in the early 2000s, but that's not who the new cast was."

A show insider called the Queer Eye environment as “toxic as hell”

Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk and Karamo Brown
Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images

Brown told PEOPLE that there was toxicity with several of his Fab Five costars set for years, and that executives and members of production did not do anything about it.

"Everyone would just say, 'Well, that's just that person,' instead of saying, 'This behavior does not fly in a professional environment,' " he said. "It impacted me negatively, consistently."

Brown told PEOPLE that his struggle with the allegedly toxic environment made him "depressed," and that he relapsed during season 3 in 2018 after 12 years of sobriety. (He says he is now sober again.)

The show insider also echoed his claims, acknowledging that while Queer Eye "helped a lot of people," the environment was "toxic as hell in reality."

The show's production company ITV America and Scout Productions responded to the claims in a statement: "We strongly disagree with any characterization that concerns raised during the production of Queer Eye were ignored, dismissed or allowed to continue unchecked."

"Throughout the series' run, any issues brought to production leadership were taken seriously and addressed appropriately," the statement read. "Production consistently fostered a respectful and professional environment for the cast and crew — which included ongoing training, coaching and other support for the cast — maintaining clear workplace policies and practices throughout filming."

The statement continued, "We remain incredibly proud of Queer Eye's lasting impact and the community the series helped build over more than 20 years.”

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”