Jai Rodriguez is backing Karamo Brown after Brown described the working environment on Queer Eye as toxic in a recent interview. Rodriguez, who starred in the original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, shared a TikTok video on Friday, June 5, saying he “deeply resonated” with Brown’s account and wanted to support him and other former Fab Five members. Rodriguez emphasized that people who did not work on the show behind the scenes would never know the full story, and he praised Brown for speaking openly about his experience.
Brown, in a People interview published Tuesday, June 2, said the set was marked by alleged bullying and behavior that went unchecked because others dismissed it as simply “that person” rather than addressing it as unacceptable in a professional workplace. He said the atmosphere affected him negatively over time and left him feeling depressed and ashamed, especially because he was publicly teaching others to improve their lives while feeling trapped in his own.
Rodriguez said he appreciated Brown’s honesty and noted that no cast member from either the original series or the revived version has fully detailed the behind-the-scenes experience in a tell-all way before. He suggested more people may eventually speak up about their own journeys. While he acknowledged that cast members united to ensure the makeover subjects were treated with care and respect, he also said that achieving that on-screen warmth required a lot of effort and that “families can be dysfunctional.”
The original Queer Eye for the Straight Guy ran for five seasons and featured Rodriguez as the culture expert alongside Ted Allen, Kyan Douglas, Thom Filicia and Carson Kressley. The rebooted Queer Eye later ran for 10 seasons with Brown, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Bobby Berk and, later, Jeremiah Brent. Rodriguez said he had long thought he might one day write a candid account of the show himself, but he is glad Brown opened the door by sharing his truth first.
Despite describing the experience as messy, Rodriguez ended his message on a supportive note, saying he was proud of Brown for speaking out. He also joked at the end of the video, asking whether Brown had changed his phone number because he had texted him.
