Jonathan Van Ness, the beloved grooming expert on Netflix hit “Queer Eye,” is in reality a “monster” with severe “rage issues,” according to an exposé published Tuesday by Rolling Stone.
“[There’s] a real emotion of fear around them when they get angry,” a source said of Van Ness, who uses they/them pronouns. “It’s almost like a cartoon where it oozes out of them. It’s intense and scary.”
The publication spoke with over 10 anonymous sources from the “Queer Eye” production team and others who have worked with Van Ness, with many claiming the star’s nasty behavior was creating so much toxicity behind the scenes that the other castmates were becoming hesitant to film with Van Ness.
Four people who held prominent roles on the production referred to Van Ness, 36, as a “monster,” a “nightmare” and “demeaning.”
Seven others told Rolling Stone the star would lash out at crew members, making filming “difficult in any capacity.”
“At least once a day, they would need to yell at somebody,” a source said. “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.”
Their “unprofessional” behavior and need to be the center of the show also sowed significant animosity amongst the other stars.
“[Van Ness] didn’t want to ever share the spotlight with anyone,” another source added. “There were times when we couldn’t even shoot scenes with certain members of the Fab Five together because it got so bad.”
Those certain members reportedly included interior design expert Bobby Berk, who announced in November his decision to leave the production after season 8, which recently premiered on Netflix.
Berk elaborated on his departure in a recent profile for Vanity Fair, discussing contract negotiations and a rumored rift with fashion expert Tan France, but didn’t make mention of any issues with Van Ness.
Commonly identified by their initials JVN, the grooming expert and internet personality has hosted the show since 2018 and is also a podcaster, bestselling author, comedian and owner of a line of non-gendered haircare products.
“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,” another source told Rolling Stone — though that persona appears to be constructed.
“There’s a real contrast between that and the way that they treat the people who are closest to them across the board,” said another insider who worked with Van Ness. “It’s the opposite of what this person is touted and paid to be.”
Reps for Van Ness have not yet replied to a request for comment on the accusations.
