Tan France is hitting back at a bombshell report he got Bobby Berk axed from the cast of Netflix’s “Queer Eye” reboot to make way for Jeremiah Brent.
“My former colleague getting fired had nothing to do with me trying to get my friend hired,” the fashion designer said in a video posted to Instagram Friday. “Netflix and the production companies did a full-on casting. I didn’t put my friend up for the job. They ended up getting it because they were the best person for the job.”
France went on to note that while he feels Brent is “going to be incredible” on the series, he “didn’t get them hired by getting rid of somebody else.”
“And that’s all I wanna say on this matter,” he wrote in the caption of the video.
France was responding to a Rolling Stone exposé published this week that probed the so-called “tensions and tumult” behind “Queer Eye.” Much of the report was devoted to hairstylist Jonathan Van Ness’ alleged “rage issues” on set. But the outlet also cited three unnamed sources who claimed that France and Antoni Porowski, the series’ food and wine expert, had engaged in “mean-girl antics” to get Berk axed from the show.
Berk, an interior designer, first confirmed his departure from “Queer Eye” on social media in November. The series’ eighth season, which is the last to feature Berk and is set in New Orleans, debuted on Netflix in January.
“It’s not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one,” he wrote on Instagram at the time. “Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon.”
Given the amicable tone of Berk’s note, his exit seemed to be of his own volition. Rumors of a behind-the-scenes feud, however, began swirling among fans and media outlets immediately following the announcement. Around the same time, Berk appeared to unfollow France on Instagram.
In a January interview with Vanity Fair, Berk acknowledged clashing with France, but stressed that he and his former co-star “will be fine.”
“We became like siblings — and siblings are always going to fight,” he said.
Brent was announced as Berk’s replacement last week. The founder of Jeremiah Brent Design is best known for his work on TLC’s “Nate & Jeremiah By Design” and HGTV’s “The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project,” in which he appeared alongside his husband, fellow interior designer Nate Berkus.