Antoni Porowski talks about the alleged behind-the-scenes drama of Queer eye and the exit from Bobby Berk after eight seasons.
Speaking to ET from the Disney/ABC Upfronts in New York City, the 40-year-old culinary expert shared that more than five months after Berk, 42, announced his departure From the successful Netflix show, the cast gets along well with the new addition Jeremiah Brent.
“Honestly, we hang out, we go to dinner at – I was going to name the restaurant but I won’t say it, but it’s our favorite place – and we all hang out together and we all love each other.” “I have since shared a trailer on the first day,” he said. “Sometimes we don’t get along, but at the end of the day we’re a family and like a middle-aged boy band, you know what I mean?”
Porowski added: “We go through thick and thin together.”
The statement comes about two months later a devastating exposé was published by Rolling Stone It claimed that fellow actor Tan France fought to replace Berk with 39-year-old Brent and received help from Porowski.
The article states: “Unbeknownst to Berk, sometime Castmate France – with alleged support from [Porowski] — has campaigned to replace Berk with interior designer and friend Jeremiah Brent, three sources say, one of whom calls it “mean girl antics.”
Porowski says how Brent fits into filming in Las Vegas Nate and Jeremiah By Design Star copes well with the “very interesting” season in the Nevada heat and fits in even better with the group.
“I adore him. I met him very randomly a few months before this whole thing started, so we had a little friendship there,” he said. “We’ve been in Las Vegas for the last two months, where it’s very hot and very dry, and he’s awesome.”
In the same Rolling Stone Story about Berk’s exit, Jonathan Van Ness — another member of Queer eye‘s original Fab Five – was Accused of “emotional insult” and having “anger issues” on set. At that time, one person was familiar with the situation shared with ET that the alleged issues with JVN, 37, had caused divisions and “awkwardness” between the beauty guru and his co-stars.
A source told ET, “Some of the cast and crew of Queer eye I’ve felt for some time that Jonathan Van Ness has a sense of entitlement. It has created tension and discomfort for them.
The source added: “They feel that Jonathan can quickly react negatively if something doesn’t go Jonathan’s way or as planned. Some of those who worked with Jonathan felt intimidated by Jonathan and it is difficult to like Jonathan.”
Queer eye does not yet have a release date for season 9.
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