Karamo Brown Reveals His Mother Was Hurt By His ‘Queer Eye’ Co-Stars

For Karamo Brown, the most painful part of the ongoing conversation surrounding his fractured relationships with some of his former “Queer Eye” castmates wasn’t what was said about him, but rather who heard it.

In a new cover story with PEOPLE, the host spoke about the behind-the-scenes tension that has followed the Emmy-winning Netflix series in recent years. While the reality star touched on feeling isolated and excluded by some of his co-stars, he revealed that the moment that ultimately pushed him to speak publicly came after a visit from his mother to the set last year.

According to the 45-year-old, his mother accidentally overheard cast members speaking negatively about him during her visit. Multiple sources cited by PEOPLE reportedly confirmed that Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France and Antoni Porowski were involved in the conversation. Rather than immediately pressing his mother for details, Brown said her reaction told him everything he needed to know.

“The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother’s eyes,” Brown told the outlet. “She kept repeating, ‘I thought they were your friends.’”

For “The Real World” alum who has spent much of his career encouraging vulnerability, healing and honest conversations, the moment struck a particularly personal chord. Brown explained that watching his mother process what she had witnessed forced him to confront feelings he had long tried to ignore.

“It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider,” he said.

Brown also admitted he never asked his mother to share exactly what was said. Instead, Brown said he was “embarrassed” after he was left grappling with the emotional fallout of knowing someone he loves was caught in the middle of a situation that should never have involved her.

While speculation about the state of the “Queer Eye” cast’s relationships has circulated for months, Brown’s latest comments offer a more personal glimpse into why he ultimately chose to address the tension publicly and not make public appearances to celebrate the tenth and final season of the reality television phenomenon.

Earlier this year, The Root reported that Brown pulled out of two major press appearances at the last minute to protect his mental health.