Fab Five member Karamo Brown has finally opened up about how scared he was during an incident where he was pulled over by a police officer on an episode of the show. Queer Eye , which he said was planned by producers.
Just three episodes into the first season of the hit Netflix series, the actors were in a car driven by Brown when they were pulled over by a police officer.
Brown and the rest of the crew—only their co-star Bobby Berk knew they'd be stopped by the police—look visibly nervous before the officer finally admits he nominated his friend for the show. At that moment, the episode sparked a conversation between Cory Waldrop, the man they were tasked with transforming, and Brown about his fear of interacting with the police as a person of color.
«"When we have a driving scene in the morning, we all argue about who gets to drive. That morning, I was adamant about wanting to drive," Brown told the publication. BuzzFeed in 2018 after the episode premiered. "I'm glad it happened that way because it allowed for a conversation to happen that probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been driving.".
Following the airing of the show's final season, Brown told the magazine People For the June cover, he opened up about the behind-the-scenes drama and toxic atmosphere on set, as well as his true feelings about the staged incident with the police.
«"You can see, because it was shown in the episode, the real fear on my face and on the faces of my castmates because none of us knew what was going on," he said. "And in that moment, I realized I don't have a driver's license, I'm in the South, I'm Black, and I don't feel safe right now.".
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Brown claimed the show's creators intentionally used his race to create a more dramatic moment without considering how the scene would affect him, including the police officer's "aggressive" behavior and his request to step out of the car.
«"It wasn't a game; we were all terrified because we belong to a community that has been harassed and beaten by the police... there was a person identifying as non-binary, two people from different countries, and a Black man driving. None of us felt safe," he said.
When the police officer announced that he was actually part of the show, Brown said it "came to him" that the whole thing was staged for dramatic effect.
«"Yeah, so you wanted a black man driving to get a reaction similar to the reaction of a black man being pulled over by a police officer," he said.
After the series wrapped, Brown became more open about his struggles with alcohol and drug addiction and depression, and even skipped a promotional campaign for the series along with co-stars Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, and Jeremy Brent, citing the "mental and emotional abuse" he experienced during filming as the reason for his absence. CBS Mornings и Today January 20th.
In another segment of the interview, the first he gave after the cancelled shows, Brown said People publication , that before, he and his co-stars "always rallied around the fans, but through working on myself, I started asking myself, 'If I'm going to be quiet now and pretend to be sick or something, whose peace am I protecting?'"«
The show's production company, ITV America and Scout Productions, said in a statement to to People: «"We strongly disagree with any assertion that the concerns raised during the production of the show Queer Eye, "Were ignored, dismissed, or tolerated. Throughout the series' run, any concerns raised with the production team were taken seriously and addressed appropriately. The production team consistently fostered a respectful and professional environment for the cast and crew, including ongoing training, coaching, and other support for the cast, maintaining clear rules and procedures throughout the production process.".
The producers added: «We remain incredibly proud of the impact the series has had.” Queer Eye , and the community he helped build over more than 20 years.».
This article originally appeared on Out: Karamo Brown says filming 'Queer Eye' left him 'horrified' by an 'aggressive' police officer.
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