Kriti Mehrotra
Watching ‘Queer Eye‘ is an experience like no other. The social commentary mixed with style and lifestyle advice makes the reality series one of a kind. However, we’ve realized that while we do get to see a few glimpses of the Fab Five’s lives outside of the show, we know next to nothing about the details of their personal lives. Even if it’s of Karamo Brown, who has been living in the public eye since 2004, when he became the first openly gay black man to be the cast member of a reality series with his role in ‘The Real World: Philadelphia.’ So, here’s all the information on him.
Karamo Brown’s Background and Family
Born on November 2, 1980, in Houston, Texas, Karamo is the youngest of four children, having three older sisters. When it comes to his parents and siblings, Karamo hasn’t revealed any information about them, not even their names. The family moved to Coral Springs, Florida, when he was little, and that’s where he grew up. He graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 1999, before going to Florida A&M University, a historically black university, to pursue further education.
Being of Jamaican and Cuban descent, Karamo has lived his entire life in fear of gun violence, which is why he is an active member of the Never Again MSD movement, which advocates for new gun control legislation. This movement was started by the students of his former high school after the 2018 mass shooting there, which killed 17 and injured 17 more. Standing at 1.88 meters, i.e., 6 feet 2 inches, he isn’t afraid to stand up against what he thinks is wrong.
The 43-year-old makes sure that he uses his platform for good. He has partnered with various organizations over the years to empower people in the LGTQ+ community, to raise awareness about HIV and battle its stigma, and to provide mental health support to anyone who needs it.
Is Karamo Brown Dating?
Although Karamo isn’t married just yet, he is happily engaged. He met the love of his life, director Ian Jordan, outside a nightclub in Los Angeles in 2010, and they have been together ever since, for almost a decade now. Karamo swept Ian off of his feet when they first met, by literally picking him up. “When I picked him up,” Karamo said, “he started hitting my head, saying, ‘Put me down!’ And when I put him down, he looked at me and said, ‘Oh, hey, you can pick me back up.'”
The two had a bit of trouble at the beginning of their relationship, having different communication styles and different expectations, but when they got on the same page, they got along like a house on fire. And in May 2018, Karamo made it official by getting down on one knee and proposing to Ian. Karamo announced the happy news on his Instagram with a since-deleted picture of the two together and wrote: “Last night, in front of family & friends, I asked my best friend and the love of my life, “will you marry me?” He said YESSS!!!! I’m engaged! Showing off our beautiful @davidyurmanmen rings. #LoveWins @theianjordan”
Two years later, on their engagement anniversary, Karamo proposed again, stating that during quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic, he’d fallen even deeper in love with Ian. But alas, even they ended up parting ways around June 2020. Though Karamo wasn’t too bothered by it because he soon found himself dating photographer Carlos Medel. They’ve been dating since 2021 and the former seems really happy.
Karamo Brown Kids
In 2007, Karamo found out that he was the father of a 10-year-old boy named Jason. In an interview with Parents.com, he revealed, “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 had moved away, and the two had no way of contacting each other, but ten years later, he suddenly received a subpoena for child support, and that’s how he found out that he was a father. Later on that same year, he got full custody of his son.
When he became a full-time dad, he cleaned up his act and made sure to provide the best possible life for his son. When he found out that Jason had a half-brother named Christian, he made it his mission to keep the family together and, in 2010, adopted him as well. The family became a unit, and a year later, Karamo decided to move to Los Angeles to give them a better life, and that is where they all still reside today.
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