Bobby Berk takes on Netflix over 'Queer Eye' icon removal
With Bobby Berk's departure, 'Queer Eye' has transformed its own as it returned for Season 9, signaling the end of an era for the cherished Fab Five.
The show's main cast members are known for their emotional depth and openness, both on and off-screen. The Fab Five, however, now appear quite different. After realizing that Netflix had removed his icon, Bobby, who left the series in November 2023, became visibly upset.
Bobby Berk and Netflix get into a silent war
It's easy to assume that Bobby believed his legacy would remain intact, regardless of whether you think he left the show due to internal conflict over popularity or because he felt excluded, as some fans speculate. Perhaps that’s when he became furious after discovering that his icon had been removed from the Netflix app.
Bobby replied to Netflix's new 'Queer Eye' icons. "Wow... Y'all really went and erased my icon instead of just adding Jeremiah?" he commented. "D**n. I'm done." (Comment now removed) Since he's no longer a part of the cast, it makes sense to cut him though. Netflix, however, takes the silent war up a notch by deleting Bobby's comment from the original post.
Why did Bobby Berk leave 'Queer Eye'?
Bobby clarified that his decision to leave Queer Eye was due to other commitments he had made when he believed the show was coming to an end in an interview with Vanity Fair. He and the other members of the Fab Five had originally signed a seven-cycle deal when 'Queer Eye' started, which ended in September 2022.
However, Bobby said that he and the other members were given a new contract when Netflix opted to renew the series in the fall of 2023 due to a lack of original programming caused by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. At first, Bobby believed that others would follow suit and chose not to sign.
The contract was signed shortly before the deadline by the other four members, Jonathan Van Ness, Tan France, Karamo Brown, and Antoni Porowski; he added, "And with only one of us not coming back, Netflix felt [it] could recast one person." Bobby revealed that his choice was based on "all the plans" he had made when he believed the program would not be renewed.
Bobby Berk and Tan France feud
After Bobby announced his departure, viewers noticed that he had unfollowed the fashion expert, sparking rumors that his exit was due to a disagreement with Tan. However, Bobby stated to Vanity Fair in January 2024 that he wished to "extinguish some of the speculation."
However, insiders informed Rolling Stone that everything was not as tranquil as it appeared on the surface. The Fab Five were afflicted by "petty disputes and competition over who is considered the show's top star," despite their close-knit look. Additionally, these complaints "were increasingly spilling out into the public."
