Queer Eye's Jonathan Van Ness accused of having "rage issues" on set

Queer Eye star Jonathan Van Ness has been accused of being "abusive" and having "rage issues" behind the scenes of the hit Netflix series.

The claims were made against the reality TV star in a new report by Rolling Stone. According to the publication, several production sources allege that filming on the show has become "difficult" due to Van Ness's off-screen behaviour.

Digital Spy has reached out for comment from Van Ness. Rolling Stone disclosed that the Queer Eye star did not reply to multiple requests for comment during its investigation.

Related: Queer Eye confirms Bobby Berk's replacement for season 9

A total of seven sources claim the star "would lash out at crew members" during filming, with one production source calling Van Ness "a yeller" on set.

Three of these sources called Van Ness "emotionally abusive" and accused them of exhibiting "rage issues". "[There’s] a real emotion of fear around them when they get angry," one told Rolling Stone.

Another two sources have alleged that Van Ness's behaviour has caused "tension" between their co-stars, otherwise known as the Fab Five, made up of Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown and the since-departed Bobby Berk.

Berk announced his departure from the show in November 2023, with the recently released eighth season being his last. Queer Eye has since announced his replacement as interior designer Jeremiah Brent.

Related: Why did Bobby Berk quit Queer Eye after season 8?

"There was absolutely tension between everybody else, especially from Jonathan Van Ness," said one production member. "He didn't want to ever share the spotlight with anyone.

"There were times when we couldn't even shoot scenes with certain members of the Fab Five together because it got so bad."

Rolling Stone reports that Netflix executives had "at least one meeting" with Van Ness about their "treatment of the crew", but sources claim this led to little change. Netflix declined to comment for the article.

Queer Eye was renewed for a ninth season back in November, ahead of season eight's release in January this year. The upcoming series will be filmed in Las Vegas.

Queer Eye seasons 1-8 is available to stream on Netflix now.

Acting Deputy News Editor, Digital Spy Emily is an experienced entertainment writer and editor, reporting on all things TV, film, soaps and showbiz. An NCTJ-qualified journalist, with a First Class Honours degree in Journalism from the University of Sussex, Emily has previously worked at Hello magazine, BBC South News and GoodtoKnow. She joined Digital Spy as Acting Deputy News Editor in May 2023. A small and big-screen obsessive – with subscriptions to every TV and film service under the sun – Emily knows her movie stars from soap stars, and is always clued up on the latest reality show dumping, just-dropped trailer or off-screen spat. She's interviewed a number of celebrities over the years, with highlights including The Masked Singer host Joel Dommett and GMB's Kate Garraway (who "loved" her trousers). Emily counts Sharon Horgan and Julia Davis as her TV heroes, and is a loyal Wes Anderson fan.

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