MICHAEL TRAN / Contributor
Inside ‘Queer Eye’ Star Jonathan Van Ness’ Controversy With the Fab Five: ‘Intense and Scary’
Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness, dubbed “JVN” by fans, is facing allegations that they contributed to a toxic work environment on the set of the hit Netflix series.
What Is Queer Eye’s JVN Being Accused Of?
Multiple production sources told Rolling Stone in a feature published on March 5, 2024, that Jonathan, who uses he/him, she/her and they/them pronouns, was emotionally “abusive” and demonstrated “rage issues.” Three sources also alleged to the outlet that the November 2023 departure of one of the show’s Fab Five members, Bobby Berk, was not as amicable as they led fans to believe.
Bobby was “blindsided” by his ousting from the show, according to sources, which may have been advocated for by one of the show’s other stars, Tan France, amid growing tension between cast members.
Though the five stars initially hit it off during season 1, by the later seasons, they would regularly engage in “petty disputes and competition over who is considered the show’s top star,” per the outlet.
Rolling Stone sources described Jonathan in particular, beloved by fans for their unabashed and enthusiastic personality, as a “monster” who was a “nightmare” to work with. Seven sources claimed that JVN would “lash out” at crew members — a far cry from their bubbly, public-facing persona.
One employee of the show described Jonathan’s erratic behavior as “intense and scary.” Their alleged tendency to chose a “villain of the day,” as one insider put it, contributed to rising tensions between the Fab Five.
“He didn’t want to ever share the spotlight with anyone,” one source claimed. “There were times when we couldn’t even shoot scenes with certain members of the Fab Five together because it got so bad.”
How Did Netflix Respond to Claims Against JVN?
Netflix had at least one meeting with Jonathan to discuss claims surrounding their behavior on set, according to the report from Rolling Stone. However, sources claim that not much was done about their complaints, with one insider even claiming that Netflix “actively rewards” Jonathan for their bad behavior.
Another said there was “no accountability at all” for JVN’s alleged actions. Netflix declined to comment to Rolling Stone for their March 4, 2024, story.
Are Queer Eye’s Fab Five Friends in Real Life?
The friendships between the show’s Fab Five are strictly performative for their TV audience, sources claimed to Rolling Stone. One even quipped to the outlet, “How is it not obvious to everybody that none of these people are friends?”
The insider continued that the castmates “don’t hang out socially” and “live very different lives.” Another said that although they “play nice,” for cameras, “none of them are friends.”
Is ’Queer Eye’ Canceled?
Despite Bobby’s exit from the cast, the show will go on. Joining original cast members Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France and of course, JVN, for the show’s ninth season is interior designer Jeremiah Brent.
Production for Queer Eye season 9, which will take place in Las Vegas, will begin in spring 2024, according to Netflix.
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