Jonathan Van Ness has been confronted with allegations of having “rage issues,” causing a divide within the Queer Eye Fab Five.
Rolling Stone interviewed seven production sources, who revealed in a report published on Tuesday that the hairstylist was reportedly challenging on set.
The magazine’s informants portrayed Van Ness, who is non-binary, using eyebrow-raising terms like “nightmare,” “monster,” and “demeaning,” alleging that they mistreated crew members and those in their immediate work circle.
According to one insider, Van Ness “would explode at least once a week.” A source told Rolling Stone that Van Ness “stood out in terms of unprofessionalism, with their various moods dictating how the day would go.”
Van Ness’ purported actions allegedly caused several group members to hesitate about filming with them. According to the report, Netflix held a meeting with Van Ness, but sources indicated that it brought about “little change.”
Season 9 of ‘Queer Eye’ Will See a New Cast Member Joining Jonathan Van Ness
Season 9 of the popular show will star Van Ness, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, and Jeremiah Brent, with Jeremiah Brent taking over from Bobby Berk. Berk explained his departure as a “necessary” choice.
“It’s with a heavy heart that I announce that season 8 will be my final season on Queer Eye,” Berk wrote on Instagram last year. “It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one. Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon,” he concluded.
The Rolling Stone report stated that Tan France, the fashion expert on Queer Eye, supported replacing Berk with Brent due to a disagreement between the co-stars.
Berk discussed the incident involving France in a January interview with Vanity Fair, assuring that the two parties “will be fine.”
“Tan and I had a moment. There was a situation, and that’s between Tan and I, and it has nothing to do with the show. It was something personal that had been brewing — and nothing romantic, just to clarify that,” he explained.
“Should I have unfollowed Tan? No. Maybe I should have just muted him,” Berk added. “But that day, I was angry, and that’s the end of it. We became like siblings — and siblings are always going to fight.”
Jonathan Van Ness rose to fame as a standout star following the revival of Queer Eye on television in 2018. In December 2019, they made history by becoming the first non-female to be featured on the cover of Cosmopolitan magazine. Since then, they have emerged as a trailblazer for transgender rights advocacy.