This is so sad to hear…
As we’ve been following, Karamo Brown is no longer pals with his fab five friends, Jonathan Van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, and Jeremiah Brent (and Bobby Berk before his departure in 2023). After they finished filming the final season of the Netflix reboot of Queer Eye, a major feud was made public. Tensions surfaced on-set reportedly due to a damning hot mic moment that, in which Karamo’s mom overheard some terrible stuff said about him. And now, the 45-year-old is opening up more about what happened due to the falling out.
After 12 years sober, Karamo heartbreakingly revealed he’d relapsed on alcohol and drugs due to the stress of bullying and unaddressed bad behavior from those tied to the production while filming Season 3 in 2018. He told People in a new interview that dropped Tuesday:
“I struggled with not facing my demons and the things I was going through on Queer Eye. It was: ‘I’m stressed from work, meet me at a bar for a drink.’ A drink would lead to weed, cocaine, pills. I wasn’t coping right, but I pretended like I was. I was so broken.”
We hate to hear this! Just so sad.
Related: Antoni Responds To Complaints About All The Queer Eye ‘Backstage Drama’
Karamo explained of his addiction:
“After a couple of beers, I could smoke weed with you all night and not be able to function. I might take a pill with you and be rolling and thinking that was euphoria when it was not. I might do cocaine to keep the party going and make me feel connected when it did not. I try to teach people now that it’s not the substance you’re struggling with, it’s the feelings underneath that you haven’t focused on.”
But that was a year and a half ago, and since then he’s gotten into a 12 step program — and he says he’s been sober since:
“Since that day, I’ve not had a single drink, cocktail — nothing. I want to encourage people that there’s a side to not having to drink that is so fun.”
We’re so glad to hear he’s doing better!
Karamo previously revealed that back in 2006 learning he had a son made him stop all drugs and alcohol. And now, his son Jason is expecting a child, which is giving him similar courage all over again:
“With this journey I’ve been on, I’m making sure that I’m healed not just for me, but also for them. There’s now going to be two generations looking at me.”
We’re sending SO much love to Karamo. We wish him the best moving forward.
If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, help is available. Consider checking out the resources SAMHSA provides at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or check out StartYourRecovery.org
[Image via The Karamo Show/Today with Jenna & Sheinelle/YouTube]
