Karamo Brown

Brown was born in Houston and has three older sisters.{{Cite journal|last=Martens|first=Joel|date=October 13, 2014|title=Karamo Brown- OWNing your life.|url=http://www.ragemonthly.com/2014/10/13/karamo-brown/|journal=Rage Monthly|language=en|access-date=October 6, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180728063136/http://www.ragemonthly.com/2014/10/13/karamo-brown/|archive-date=July 28, 2018|url-status=dead}} He is of Jamaican and Cuban descent. He came out as gay at age 15.{{Cite episode|title=To Gay or Not Too Gay|series=Queer Eye|season=1|number=4|network=Netflix|airdate=February 7, 2018}} Brown grew up in Coral Springs, Florida and graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 1999.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/amp19644431/karamo-brown-queer-eye-season-1-interview/|title=Karamo Brown Is More Than Just a Culture Expert|first=Rachel|last=Epstein|journal=Marie Claire|date=April 3, 2018|access-date=September 4, 2018}}{{cite news|author=Wright, John|title=Houston Native, Marjory Stoneman Grad and 'Queer Eye' Star Karamo Brown Headlines HRC Gala|url=http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2018/04/houston-native-marjory-stoneman-grad-and-queer-eye-star-karamo-brown-headlines-hrc-gala/ |work=OutSmart|date=April 2, 2018}} He graduated from Florida A&M University, a historically black university, and has worked in social services.{{cite news|author=Pardee, Lauren|title='Queer Eye' Star Karamo Brown Opens Up About Discovering He Had a 10-Year-Old Son|url=https://www.parents.com/parenting/celebrity-parents/moms-dads/queer-eye-star-karamo-brown-opens-up-about-discovering-he-had/}}

In 2007, Brown was notified that he was the father of a ten-year-old boy, Jason, and received custody of him that year. Brown adopted Jason's half-brother Chris in 2010 and moved to Los Angeles with his two sons in 2011, where they currently reside.{{Cite news|url=https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2015/01/29/gay-real-world-stars-unexpected-journey-fatherhood|author=Reynolds, Daniel|title=A Gay Real World Star's Unexpected Journey to Fatherhood|magazine=The Advocate|date=January 29, 2015|access-date=September 4, 2018|language=en}} In May 2018, Brown became engaged to director Ian Jordan.{{Cite news|url=https://people.com/tv/queer-eye-karamo-brown-engaged/|title=Queer Eye's Karamo Brown Is Engaged to Director Ian Jordan|last=Falcone|first=Dana Rose|date=May 9, 2018|work=People|access-date=September 4, 2018}} They split amicably around June 2020. On May 15, 2021 Karamo began dating photographer Carlos Medel.The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Season 17, Episode 199, 9/25-2020. Karamo interview by Stephen "Twitch" Boss{{cite web |url=https://people.com/tv/queer-eye-karamo-brown-split-from-fiance-ian-jordan/ |title=Queer Eye's Karamo Brown Reveals He Split from Fiancé Ian Jordan 3 Months Ago: 'It Was Hard' |work=People |first=Aurelie |last=Corinthios |date=September 25, 2020 |access-date=January 17, 2022}}

Karamo was most known for his television debut on the MTV reality series The Real World: Philadelphia in 2004. He later competed in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Inferno II, where he was eliminated in episode six.

Brown made a return to reality television on TV One's The Next 15 in 2016, which followed him and five other reality stars.{{Cite news|url=https://www.queerty.com/the-next-15-star-karamo-brown-talks-being-a-gay-dad-reality-tv-drama-and-crazy-ass-new-york-20160210|title='The Next 15' Star Karamo Brown Talks Being A Gay Dad, Reality TV Drama, and 'Crazy-Ass' New York|last=Smith|first=Rob|date=February 10, 2016|access-date=September 4, 2018|publisher=Queerty}} Brown was a contributing host on HLN's Dr. Drew On Call, YouTube's The Young Turks, served as host and producer of HuffPost Live for Huffington Post and as a recurring guest host of Access Hollywood Live. In 2014, Brown became a host and segment producer for the Own Show.{{Cite web|url=https://www.parents.com/parenting/celebrity-parents/moms-dads/queer-eye-star-karamo-brown-opens-up-about-discovering-he-had/|title='Queer Eye' Star Karamo Brown Opens Up About Discovering He Had a 10-Year-Old Son|last=Pardee|first=Lauren|date=2018|website=Parents|access-date=September 4, 2018}}

Brown hosted MTV's Are You the One? Second Chances.{{Cite news|author=Scott, Sydney|url=http://www.essence.com/entertainment/karamo-brown-interview|title=Karamo Brown Has Come A Long Way Since 'The Real World' And There's More Up His Sleeve|date=March 30, 2017|work=Essence|access-date=September 4, 2018}} Brown is the culture expert in the Netflix revival of Queer Eye. The first season was released on Netflix in February 2018.

Brown published a memoir in March 2019 titled Karamo: My Story of Embracing Purpose, Healing, and Hope.{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2019/03/27/707136869/karamo-brown-on-queer-eye-embracing-purpose|title=Karamo Brown On 'Queer Eye' & 'Embracing Purpose'|website=NPR.org|language=en|access-date=April 8, 2019}} In June 2019, Brown appeared in Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down" music video.{{Citation|last=TaylorSwiftVEVO|title=Taylor Swift – You Need To Calm Down|date=June 17, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkk9gvTmCXY|access-date=June 17, 2019}}

In 2019 Brown competed on the 28th season of celebrity dance competition Dancing with the Stars. He was paired with professional dancer Jenna Johnson. Brown and Johnson were the fourth couple eliminated. Brown publicly defended his fellow contestant, former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer, who was seen as a divisive and controversial choice for the show.{{Cite web|last=Hanrahan|first=Laura|date=January 9, 2020|title=ABC President Says She Stands By Controversial Decision to Cast Season Spicer In 'DWTS'|url=https://www.womansday.com/life/entertainment/a30459419/sean-spicer-dwts-abc-defends-decision/|access-date=June 12, 2020|website=Woman's Day|language=en-US}} Brown called Spicer "a good guy" and "a friend," and said that he "was proud of him," but also said he did not appreciate Spicer serving as a mouthpiece for many lies in service of Trump.{{Cite web|last=McBee|first=Thomas Page|title=Karamo From Queer Eye Was "Cancelled" After Calling Sean Spicer a Friend, But He Said He Had a Good Reason|url=https://www.teenvogue.com/story/queer-eyes-karamo-on-masculinity-apologies-and-sean-spicer|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Teen Vogue|date=December 10, 2019|language=en-us}} Brown was criticized by many, including author Roxane Gay for normalizing Spicer and his work in the White House.{{Cite web|last=Mosbergen|first=Dominique|date=2019-08-22|title='Queer Eye' Star Karamo Brown Offers Surprise Defense Of 'Sweet Guy' Sean Spicer|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/karamo-brown-sean-spicer-dwts_n_5d5e061de4b0b59d256f1b1c|access-date=2019-08-23|website=HuffPost|language=en}} Brown's trailer at DWTS shared a wall with Spicer's; Brown intentionally had transgender friends over, and invited Spicer to socialize. Brown spoke to Spicer about how the actions and policies against LGBTQ rights affect marginalized people. Brown explained he felt he could connect with Spicer as "he has the capacity to find out where others are coming from and to help them become more open-minded and educated."{{Cite web|last=Miller|first=Zoe Luderman|date=February 28, 2020|title=Facing the deeper side of ourselves: Star of Queer Eye Karamo Brown speaks at UW|url=http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_aec3a8b0-5a5c-11ea-9850-e741eb0b8c7b.html|access-date=June 12, 2020|website=The Daily|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Tran|first=Amberly|date=January 26, 2020|title=Karamo Brown returns to Tallahassee to celebrate MLK day|url=https://www.fsunews.com/story/news/2020/01/26/karamo-brown-returns-tallahassee-celebrate-mlk-day/4579259002/|access-date=June 12, 2020|website=FSU News|language=en}}

Starting in 2018, Brown shared some of his best advice about promoting self-esteem to students at multiple universities."Queer Eye's Karamo Brown Gives John Jay Students His Best Life Advice." John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 27 June 2019, www.jjay.cuny.edu/news/queer-eye's-karamo-brown-gives-john-jay-students-his-best-life-advice[https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2019/02/we-are-all-perfectly-designed-karamo-browns-advice-for-duke-students. 'We are all perfectly designed': Karamo Brown's advice for Duke students – The Chronicle]{{cite web | url=http://www.dailyuw.com/arts_and_leisure/article_aec3a8b0-5a5c-11ea-9850-e741eb0b8c7b.html | title=Facing the deeper side of ourselves: Star of Queer Eye Karamo Brown speaks at UW | date=February 28, 2020 }}[https://www.thenortherner.com/arts-and-life/campus-events/2018/10/10/karamo-brown-wows-su-crowd-with-message-of-love-self-esteem/ Karamo Brown wows SU crowd with message of love, self-esteem] The Northerner. October 10, 2018

In November 2019, Brown published a children's book, I Am Perfectly Designed, written with his son Jason "Rachel" Brown, illustrated by Anoosha Syed, and published by Henry Holt and Company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-250-23221-2|title=I Am Perfectly Designed: Book review|date=August 15, 2019|website=Publishers Weekly|access-date=September 24, 2019}} Jason said that the title of the book is a phrase Brown often said to Jason growing up.TheAdvocateMag. "Karamo Felt 'Betrayed' By His Son's Coming Out – And Then He Evolved." ADVOCATE, 24 Sept. 2019, www.advocate.com/exclusives/2019/9/24/karamo-felt-betrayed-his-sons-coming-out-and-then-he-evolved.

In 2020, Karamo Brown teamed up with Honest Company alumni to create MANTL, a premium personal care brand for bald and or balding men."Karamo Brown And Honest Company Alumni Launch MANTL, A Personal Care Brand For Bald Men." AP NEWS, Associated Press, 6 Feb. 2020, apnews.com/231607f7cc9fd29e26ff50d8e5d9e346.

In 2020, Brown was named to the Ebony Power 100 List.{{Cite web|last=#teamEBONY|date=2020-02-26|title=2020 EBONY POWER 100 LIST|url=https://www.ebony.com/exclusive/2020-ebony-power-100-list/|access-date=2020-11-10|website=EBONY}}

He judged an episode of Is It Cake?, which premiered on Netflix in March 2022.{{cite web |last1=Wignall |first1=Elle |title=Des Moines baker Andrew Fuller, of Sugar Freakshow, will star in a new Netflix show 'Is It Cake?' |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/dining/2022/03/07/andrew-fuller-sugar-freakshow-netflix-cake-meme-baking-competition/6979475001/ |website=Des Moines Register |access-date=March 18, 2022 |date=March 7, 2022}}

Brown guest-hosted several episodes of Maury in the 2021–22 season. In March 2022, Brown was announced as host Maury Povich's successor; Povich retired and Brown hosted a new talk show for NBCUniversal Television Distribution, with Karamo starting recording in August and premiering September 19.{{cite web |last1=Albiniak |first1=Paige |title=Syndication: Pieces Falling Into Place for 2022-23 TV Season |url=https://www.nexttv.com/features/pieces-falling-into-place-for-2022-23-tv-season |website=Broadcasting & Cable |access-date=March 19, 2022 |date=March 14, 2022}}{{cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/19/entertainment/queer-eye-karamo-brown-talk-show/index.html |title='Queer Eye' star Karamo Brown debuts new talk show |last=Garvey |first=Marianne |publisher=CNN |date=September 19, 2022|access-date=October 19, 2022}}

In September 2022, Brown featured TikToker creators Chef Pii and Allured Beauty on the Karamo Show in response to Allured Beauty's discovery that Pii's Pink Sauce product was not safe for human consumption after getting it tested by a lab.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=Pink Sauce creator Chef Pii slammed after talk show appearance backfires |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/pink-sauce-creator-chef-pii-slammed-after-talk-show-appearance-backfires-1958776/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Dexerto |language=en}} Her discovery came after multiple similar accounts from other consumers. Brown received backlash for defending Chef Pii and criticising Allured Beauty, with viewers claiming that he was 'gaslighting' Allured Beauty during the episode.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-14 |title=Pink Sauce creator Chef Pii slammed after talk show appearance backfires |url=https://www.dexerto.com/entertainment/pink-sauce-creator-chef-pii-slammed-after-talk-show-appearance-backfires-1958776/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Dexerto |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Koirala |first=Kareena |date=2022-10-25 |title=Why Karamo Show Was Forced To Delete Bizarre Pink Sauce Segment |url=https://www.mashed.com/1070909/why-karamo-show-was-forced-to-delete-bizarre-pink-sauce-segment/ |access-date=2025-03-20 |website=Mashed |language=en-US}}

In 2014, Brown partnered with the pharmaceutical company Janssen as part of the Positively Fearless campaign to empower the gay and bisexual community.{{Cite news|title=Positively Fearless: Fighting HIV stigma|last=Walden|first=Tiffany|date=September 14, 2016|work=The Miami Times|id = {{ProQuest|1825375380}}}}

In 2015, Brown co-founded 6in10.org, an organization that works to combat HIV stigma and provides mental health support and HIV education to the black LGBT community. Karamo volunteers as a youth counselor at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Brown has also partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Black Justice Coalition as their health and wellness ambassador. It was primarily focused on the Black LGBTQ community due to the fact that Brown felt as if that community specifically got overlooked most of the time. Their mission was to eradicate the 6-in-10 HIV statistic plaguing gay and bisexual Black men by providing tailored mental health support.{{Cite web|url=https://aumag.org/2018/02/01/karamo-brown-cover-story/|title=Karamo Brown: Cover Story | A&U Magazine}}

He was invited by the Obama Administration to work with the White House to create policies and legislations that helped with supporting the aspiring LGBTQ youth and their community along with their allies after school hours. He worked directly with President Barack Obama to support the president Obama Foundation and the My Brother's Keeper Alliance.[https://icmspeakers.com/speaker/karamo-brown/?post_type=speaker&print=print-custom Karamo Brown – ICM Speakers]

In April 2018, he joined Creative Coalition members in traveling to Capitol Hill to petition legislators and the office of Second Lady Karen Pence for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.{{cite news |author1=Adrienne Wichard-Edds |title=Tim Daly, Richard Schiff Stump for Arts Funding on Capitol Hill |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tim-daly-richard-schiff-stump-arts-funding-capitol-hill-1107224 |work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=April 30, 2018}} He is also a national co-chair for Health Care Voter.{{cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/i-ve-gone-without-health-care-because-i-thought-it-ncna926146|title=I've gone without health care because I thought it was a privilege, not a right. Our kids deserve better.|date=November 3, 2018|work=NBC News}} Brown's activism does not remain local; he travels around the country to speak and host focus groups with HIV organizations, churches, and schools to address the issues the LGBTQ community is facing.[https://www.essence.com/entertainment/karamo-brown-interview/ Karamo Brown On New Gig And Activism – Essence]

• 2018 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award[https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/human-rights-campaign-to-honor-karamo-brown-of-netflixs-queer-eye-at-21st-a "Human Rights Campaign to Honor Karamo Brown of Netflix's 'Queer Eye' at 21st Annual HRC Houston Gala"]

• 2020 Primetime Emmy Award Nominated for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program{{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/awards/nominees-winners/2020/outstanding-host-for-a-reality-or-reality-competition-program |title=Outstanding Host For A Reality Or Competition Program – 2020 |work=emmys.com |access-date=2021-03-25}}

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Category:1980 births

Category:20th-century African-American people

Category:21st-century African-American male actors

Category:21st-century American male actors

Category:African-American LGBTQ people

Category:American entertainers of Cuban descent

Category:American gay actors

Category:American people of Jamaican descent

Category:Entertainers from Houston

Category:Florida A&M University alumni

Category:LGBTQ people from Florida

Category:LGBTQ people from Texas

Category:Living people

Category:Participants in American reality television series

Category:People from Coral Springs, Florida

Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners

Category:The Real World (TV series) cast members

Category:Television personalities from Florida

Category:Television personalities from Texas