JVN Responds, at Last, to 'Monster' Allegations of 'Rage' and 'Nightmare' On-Set Behavior

A bombshell report earlier this year alleged that "Queer Eye" star Jonathan Van Ness made life on the show's set difficult. After months of silence, JVN has finally spoken up and refuted the allegations.

"Speaking with singer Jessie Ware on the Table Manners podcast, Van Ness broke their silence as they described the impact of the accusations on their personal life," UK newspaper the Independent reported.
Van Ness said that while the allegations surfaced in Rolling Stone in March, "our whole 'Queer Eye' family had first learned about this article in December," which left him "walking on eggshells" for months, "being like, 'When is this going to happen?' And then it did finally happen."

Van Ness described the situation as a matter of one bad thing happening after the next for him.

"I went from this bankruptcy to then, 'Oh, there's someone who's going to write an investigative takedown, like exposé piece about you that isn't really based in reality, but can certainly have a lot of things taken out of context to like make you look as bad as possible,'" the non-binary hair stylist said.

The Rolling Stone article cited "claims from seven individuals who have worked on 'Queer Eye,'" Flip the Media recalled. "These sources described Van Ness as a 'nightmare' to work with, citing 'rage issues' and frequent outbursts that created a tense and intimidating atmosphere on set."

"One source detailed how Van Ness's mood could drastically change the environment," Flip the Media added, "making it difficult for others to work with them."

The bombshell hit in the wake of interior designer Bobby Berk's announcement last fall that he would be leaving the show.

Rumors swirled that Berk was leaving thanks to tensions with fashion maven Tan France. There were even claims that France had schemed to have Berk dismissed from the show and replaced with France's friend Jeremiah Brent – a rumor that France denied.

For his part, Berk said that his departure came down to the cast's contracts having only extended through Season 8. When new contracts were presented to the crew for additional seasons, Berk said, he had already lined up other projects.

Van Ness' silence in response to the Rolling Stone piece, Flip the Media said, "frustrated some fans.... with some accusing Van Ness of being dismissive and petty by not confronting the rumors."

The online vitriol was intense, Van Ness told the podcast, saying, "I think a lot of people were looking for a reason to hate me or looking for a reason to be like, 'See I always knew that they were a fake cunt.'"

The hair guru added that they shied away from social media for several weeks, "and anytime I tried to dip my toe in, I would immediately see something that was so intensely hurtful."

But the experience did have something of a learning component, Van Ness said.

"One thing it taught me was that I had been getting so much self-esteem from social and my job" – a revelation, since, until then, "I didn't really think that I did get so much self-esteem from it."