Jonathan Van Ness slammed the bombshell report claiming they were emotionally “abusive” on the set of “Queer Eye” as being not “based in reality” nearly four months after the piece was first published.
“I think a lot of people were like looking for a reason to hate me or like looking for a reason to be like, ‘See, I always knew that they were a fake c–t and this is the proof,’” the reality star, who goes by they/he/she pronouns, said on the “Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware” podcast Tuesday.
“My family was so supportive of my husband and my team, but I didn’t even get on social media or, like, look at my phone for three weeks.”
Van Ness, 37, said they and their “Queer Eye” castmates first learned of the investigative profile in December 2023, and claimed that a lot of the information gathered was “taken out of context” to make them look “as bad as possible.”
“I think people forget no matter how famous you are you’re still a person,” the TV personality added.
“That article came at like an incredibly vulnerable time, like for my hair care company, for like my whole career. It just was really rough.”
Van Ness then said that the article was “overwhelmingly untrue” and allegedly done “in bad faith,” but admitted that there may have been times when they snapped at people or “could have been better.”
In March, Rolling Stone published the damning exposé, which accused Van Ness of “rage issues.”
Seven production sources who spoke to the outlet claimed the hairstylist’s behind-the-scenes behavior contributed to the rift within the original Fab Five, alleging Van Ness would lash out at crew members.
“He didn’t want to ever share the spotlight with anyone. There were times when we couldn’t even shoot scenes with certain members of the Fab Five together because it got so bad,” one insider said, referencing Van Ness’ co-stars Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Karamo Brown and Bobby Berk, who has since left the show.
Others described Van Ness as a “monster,” “nightmare” and “demeaning.”
“[There’s] a real emotion of fear around them when they get angry. It’s almost like a cartoon where it oozes out of them,” one source explained.
“It’s intense and scary,” they went on, noting that Van Ness was a “yeller” who would explode at least once a week. Another source said there was always “tension” on the set, particularly with Van Ness.
“When he comes on set, everything changes if he’s in a bad mood,” they explained. “Working with him is very difficult in any capacity.”
The allegations starkly contrast Van Ness’ public persona, which made them a fan favorite among viewers of the Netflix hit.
“Jonathan’s a person who contains multitudes and who has the capacity to be very warm, very charismatic, and has the capacity to make you feel really special that they are paying attention to you,” one source said.
“But at least once a day, they would need to yell at somebody. It might be something small, but there’s always going to be somebody to point out and blame and make the villain of the day.”
A separate production source described the Cosmopolitan cover star, who has become a pioneer for trans rights issues, as “hypocritical.”
“As much good as he wants to do in the world, I think a lot of it is very hypocritical,” the source said.
“There’s a definite contrast between the principles and the values that Jonathan stands for publicly. They’re really centered around having this warmth, love, and care for other people.
“There’s a real contrast between that and the way that they treat the people who are closest to them across the board. It’s the opposite of what this person is touted and paid to be.”
Berk, 42, who was the show’s design expert, announced his departure from the series in 2023 after eight seasons and later confirmed he had tension with France, 41.
However, the British fashion designer disputed the claim made in Rolling Stone’s piece that alleged he campaigned to get Berk fired in order to get his pal Jeremiah Brent the job.
France is not the only person to attempt to poke holes in the scandalous report, though.
Several former participants — dubbed “Hometown Heroes” — came forward to defend Van Ness, claiming they had always been “bright and nice” on set.
“Queer Eye,” which premiered in 2018, will return for a ninth season set in Las Vegas.
Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.
