Karamo Brown is one of our favourite Queer Eye experts (ok, who are we kidding – we love them all equally).
But residential culture expert Karamo is special because his role in the Fab Five stretches so far beyond teaching his subjects about, say, dating etiquette, or foreign cinema.
Karamo is always at the centre of any emotional arc, helping men (women, and everything in between Queer Eye is gender inclusive) who oftentimes struggle to give a language to their trauma to open up and lead fuller lives well after their Queer Eye experience.
Remember when Kansas City resident Wesley – who was left paralysed from the waist down after being caught up in a shooting – came face to face with his shooter and was able to forgive him? Major moments.
"I was navigating both of their fears and telling them to trust me," Karamo told Men’s Health US at the time. "The conversation they had lasted almost two-and-a-half hours. But in the end they were able to shed light on the violence epidemic that is facing so many communities, while also finding healing and closure."
And if this isn’t evidence enough that Karamo is a positive force to be reckoned with, you only have to look at the relationship he has with his two sons to see what a great guy he is.
Who are Karamo Brown’s sons?
Karamo is dad to two grown up sons – Jason, 24, and Christian, 20.
Speaking of the moment he learned he had a ten-year-old son after a load of backdated child support forms landed on his doorstep, Karamo explained, "I came out at 16 years old as a proud, gay man. My last girlfriend in high school - when I was 15 - became pregnant with my child but did not tell me.
"She moved away, and I never had contact with her again; remember this is before social media. I was confused, sad, angry, and weirdly excited to be a dad, but felt lost nonetheless. We were both kids and don’t blame her for the decision she made because the choice was not hers, it was the adults around us."
After taking custody of Jason, Karamo later formally adopted Jason’s younger half-brother, Christian.
"I took legal guardianship of Chris [in 2011]," Karamo told Parents.com. "Chris was nine at the time, and it has been an amazing journey. Again, I give my son’s mother so much praise for allowing me to step in and support her in raising our kids."
What is Karamo Brown’s son’s job?
Eldest son Jason studied drama and comedy at the University of California and is hoping to follow in has dad’s footsteps of being an entertainer.
Speaking of his dad supporting his career ambitions, Jason told Slate magazine in 2018, "I’m trying to pursue my dreams of being a host and an executive producer right now and my dad is literally the most supportive person I could probably have in my corner when it comes to helping with that."
Karamo and Jason have also written a children’s book together, called I Am Perfectly Designed, which is described as "an empowering story about loving who you are, exactly as you are - and a celebration of the love between parent and child". Awhh.
Karamo Brown’s sons’ mother
Though Jason and Christian’s mum is not in the public eye in the same way Karamo is, the boys have a great relationship with her and Karamo has only had good things to say about her.
Speaking of their relationship, Jason has said previously, "It’s phenomenal. My mom and I have a great relationship. We talk every single day, she is on board and she loves the Queer Eye show. She’s very supportive of me and my brother, him becoming a rapper and myself joining the entertainment industry. She’s a funny woman. I love my mom."
CHECK OUT: where are Queer Eye series one stars now?
Queer Eye - Where Are They Now? - Grazia
1 of 13Tom: Season One, Episode One
The Fab Five's first makeover subject was self-described redneck Tom, a Mountain Dew devotee with the heart-breaking catchphrase 'You can't fix ugly.' At the end of the episode, he appeared on the verge of a tentative reconciliation with his ex-wife, Abbey. Though Tom later announced on Twitter that they were no longer together, they've since (re) tied the knot in a low-key ceremony. Then they divorced again in 2019. Keeping up?
2 of 13Neal: Season One, Episode Two
Following his Queer Eye makeover, app developer Neal seems to be fully embracing everything he learned from the Fab Five. 'I feel fully confident in business meetings. I'm way more engaged,' he recently told Men's Health. 'It's not just new clothes. It's my attitude, too.' He's still Instagramming pictures of his dog, too, and describes himself online as a 'mediocre comedian.'
3 of 13Cory: Season One, Episode Three
NASCAR enthusiast and police officer Cory seems to have taken Jonathan's skincare gospel to heart: face mask selfies are now regular programming on his Instagram account. Following their much-discussed heart to heart about police brutality, he and Karamo have forged a close relationship. 'We still have some political differences, but as a whole, I see him as a human being and he sees me as a human being,' the latter told Buzzfeed. 'I see him as a father, he sees me as a father. That's why we're texting each other at eight o'clock in the morning.' They even FaceTimed each other to watch Cory's episode together. Aww.
4 of 13AJ: Season One, Episode 4
Queer Eye isn't short of tear-jerking moments, but AJ's episode – which saw him finally come out to his much-loved step-mother – was a season one standout. Since then, he's got married to his boyfriend, Andre.
5 of 13Remy: Season One, Episode Six
Remy, who recruited the Five to help him transform the house he'd inherited from his grandmother (complete with some outstanding '70s décor), has clearly taken their style advice to heart: his Instagram account shows him sporting some Karamo-esque bomber jackets and print shirts that Tan would be proud of. Plus, he attended the Black Panther premiere in some Wakanda-infused garb, too.
6 of 13Bobby: Season One, Episode Five
Bobby, his wife Vera and their six children moved out of the home which we saw made over on episode five. 'Vera literally DM'd me the day before yesterday and they moved to a different house with three bedrooms,' Jonathan told Buzzfeed, adding that the Camp brood are 'still using their kits and caboodles, which is great.' I mean, who would turn down his curated selection of grooming products?
7 of 13Joe: Season One, Episode Seven
Well, this is a little awkward. It seems that aspiring comedian Joe decided to delete the website which Karamo built for him. 'He was like, "I'm not sure if I'm ready for that point in my career,"' Karamo told Buzzfeed. 'I was like, "I'm building you this because in a matter of months, millions of people are gonna see you and flock to your website!" And he took it down.' Just think of all the Google authority you could have gained, Joe… That aside, his Instagram account suggests that he's still getting his hair cut at the salon Jonathan recommended. That's something at least.
8 of 13Jeremy: Season One, Episode Eight
Firefighter Jeremy doesn't have social media, but we know from his station's official Facebook account that he recently achieved his goal and qualified to become one of 1,279 Chief Fire Officers around the world. Congratulations!
9 of 13Tammye: Season Two, Episode One
The show's first female makeover was one of the most emotional episodes to date, with viewers immediately taking Mamma Tammye and her son Myles into their hearts. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Jonathan revealed: 'I talk to Tammye a lot on Instagram. I'm always on the DM with my queen.' (Indeed, he recently shared her new haircut to his social media followers). Happily, he continues, 'she is doing really good […] still just nurturing other people and giving so much of herself all the time.' Myles, meanwhile, has returned to his church choir again.
10 of 13William: Season Two, Episode Two
William, populariser of the phrase 'I Shannan You' (if you know, you know), found the courage to propose to his long-term girlfriend with the help of the Fab Five. William and Shannan tied the knot on June 16th of last year, and you can see the photos on his Twitter account.
11 of 13Jason: Season Two, Episode Four
The end credits of Burning Man aficionado Jason's Queer Eye makeover gave us the conclusion we'd been rooting for: he'd ditched his plans to move to Reno and had finally got together with his best friend Beth. We're pleased to report that the couple are still together, according to Beth's Twitter account.
12 of 13Skyler: Season Two, Episode Five
When the Fab Five first met Skyler, the first trans man to feature in the newly rebooted Queer Eye, he had only recently undergone top surgery. Now, he is seeking justice: he sued his employer after discovering that his insurance excluded trans-related healthcare.
13 of 13Arian: Season Two, Episode Six
Of course, the question on everyone's lips is: did Ari finally graduate college? Luckily, Karamo has the answers. He told Vanity Fair: 'I've been in contact with him and he finally graduated and has a job. I'm so proud of him.' Hooray! He now works as an analyst in Atlanta.
WATCH: The Queer Eye Cast Talk Season 2, Fav Celeb Fans and Play the Brag Off
Where do Karamo Brown’s kids live?
Jason and Chris still live with their dad in LA, but have previously said they miss him being at home now that he’s spending more time away filming Queer Eye.
"He’s gone pretty much a lot of the time nowadays," Jason told Slate. "It’s awesome you know because it’s more success and more opportunities that he’s getting into, but we would literally love to have him around like we used to have."
What has Karamo Brown said about fatherhood?
Karamo admits that before taking on the role as a full-time dad, he was a "functioning addict" and said in 2017, "It wasn’t until I became a dad that I asked myself how would I feel if my son had the same relationship with drugs and alcohol as I did. I quit and have never looked back.
"The adjustment process was challenging at times. New house means new rules and expectations not just for the children but for me—the parent—as well. Navigating each other’s expectations, the move-in, diet, friends, school, and homework can be overwhelming."
Is Karamo Brown’s son gay?
Jason came out aged 21 as pansexual – which means he identifies himself as being attracted to an individual for their personhood, not their gender. He said that there was some tensions between his dad and him.
"We have such a good connection of communication and I never hide anything from my dad, so when he heard this — and he was not the first person to hear this — I could sense that it kind of hurt him," he told advocate magazine in 2019. "And that’s why it transferred to a little bit of frustration."
Karamo told the same publication, "When Jason let me into his life regarding him identifying as pansexual," he continues, "There was a myriad of feelings that I had. First, he didn’t let me into his life regarding being pansexual until he was 21.
"This is a young man who grew up in a household where his father is a career gay. You know, like, I’ve literally been on television, open and proud about my sexuality, worked in social services with LGBT youth, he was around LGBT youth and adults, he’s seen the healthy relationship that I’ve been in for 10 years - yet there was still a fear in his mind of sharing with me. When he shared with me that he identified as pan, I was, first of all, disappointed…. I was a little hurt.
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Queer Eye's Tan France shares first photos of baby son after surrogate gives birth
"I also did have a fear of, how am I going to tell members of his family that are still struggling with accepting people who identify as part of the LGBTQI community? Because there are still parts of my side of the family and his mother’s side that are not as open."
Have Karamo Brown’s sons been on Queer Eye?
They sure have – in an episode from the most recent series, Father Knows Fish (you have to watch it to get it) Jason and Chris star on a segment called ‘Relate to Communicate’, where Karamo tries – and fails – to get his sons attentions away from their phones to discuss, among other things, politics and broccoli.
Who else in Queer Eye has kids?
Karamo’s co-star and the show’s fashion expert, English born Tan France, recently welcomed a son via surrogate with his husband Rob.
He wrote on Instagram, "Give our son a warm welcome. Ismail France, born July 10th.
"He came 7 weeks early, so he’s been in the NICU for the past 3 weeks. But, today, we finally got to bring him home. We love him so, so much. Like, fully obsessed. Our surrogate is doing so great, post labor, and we couldn’t be more grateful for the greatest gift in our lives. 🥰".