Several people who underwent transformations on “Queer Eye” are coming forward to defend Jonathan Van Ness after the hair guru was labeled as a “monster” and “nightmare” in a bombshell exposé.
The “hometown heroes” — which is the name given to the makeover show’s participants — told TMZ Thursday that Van Ness, 36, was never unprofessional or rude when they were on set.
Cory Waldrop, who appeared on the Netflix show’s first season, recalled the hairstylist showing a kind gesture during filming by allowing him to cut production’s food truck line.
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William Mahnken, who appeared in Season 2, also spoke highly of Van Ness to the outlet and shared that the “Over the Top” author even offered to bring him to the Emmys if their mother couldn’t attend.
Michael Richard II, whose episode aired in Season 7, described Van Ness as “always bright and nice.”
He also addressed a claim made in Rolling Stone’s exposé that alleged the “Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness” podcast host had tension with their co-stars and fought over the spotlight.
“[Van Ness] seemed well-liked by everybody,” Richard told TMZ, which Ryan Dyer, who appeared in Season 5, corroborated by saying it did not appear to him that Van Ness wanted “all the attention.”
Rolling Stone spoke to multiple sources, however, who felt differently and called out Van Ness for their alleged “rage issues,” which one insider claimed occurred at least “once a week.”
“[There’s] a real emotion of fear around them when they get angry,” an individual who worked with the Netflix star claimed. “It’s almost like a cartoon where it oozes out of them. It’s intense and scary.”
Sources also claimed that Van Ness’ on-camera friendship with the other members of the Fab Five — Karamo Brown, Tan France, Bobby Berk and Antoni Porowski — was all for show.
“How is it not obvious to everybody that none of these people are friends?” one insider wondered. “None of them. They don’t hang out socially. They live very different lives.”
Berk, who recently quit the show, has been open about tensions within the group — but never outright called out Van Ness.
The interior designer, 42, instead talked about not getting along with France, 40, telling Vanity Fair in January, “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.”
Brown, 43, also previously shared that he, Berk and Van Ness were not invited to Porowski’s bachelor party last year.
None of the members of Fab Five have publicly addressed the scandal. Netflix also did not return multiple requests for comment.
According to Deadline, “Queer Eye” has been renewed for a ninth season. Designer Jeremiah Brent has been cast to replace Berk.
