Karamo Brown Claims 'Queer Eye' Prank Was Exploitative

Karamo Brown has recently spoken out about a contentious traffic-stop prank featured in the first season of the "Queer Eye" reboot in 2018. Initially, Brown expressed gratitude for the dialogue initiated by the incident, where the cast was pulled over by an actor posing as a police officer.

However, in a new statement to PEOPLE, Brown claims producers compelled him to drive during the staged encounter. He asserts their motive was to capture the fear displayed by a Black man being stopped by law enforcement in the Southern United States. Brown now states he was not grateful for the experience, marking a significant shift from his earlier public statements.

A representative for Brown indicated that he previously felt unable to speak freely about the event without jeopardizing his position on the show. They also stated that his current account has been corroborated by individuals familiar with the situation.

Conversely, sources reportedly close to the show's production have dismissed Brown's revised account as untrue. These sources claim Brown was the one who wished to drive during the scene, consistent with his initial statements, and that he had supported the inclusion of the segment in the final broadcast. The differing accounts have brought renewed attention to past disagreements between Brown and the Netflix series.