‘Queer Eye’ Star Karamo Brown Splits From Partner After 10 Years Together

Karamo Brown and fiancé Ian Jordan quietly split more than three months ago, the Queer Eye star revealed on Friday’s Ellen DeGeneres Show. Brown revealed the breakup during a conversation with guest host Stephen “tWitch” Boss, explaining that he and his director beau split on good terms after 10 years of dating and more than two years as an engaged couple, having had to postpone their summer wedding due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Brown made it clear that there was no infidelity involved in the split, but that they came to a realization during quarantine that they weren’t in the same place in life. “We were distracted by so much — with the kids, and our careers — that during that time, I had to really say, ‘How is our communication? How are other parts of our lives? Are we growing in the same place?’”

It was a difficult split for Brown, who is father to sons Jason, 23, and Chris, 20. The Real World alum learned he was a dad when he was subpoenaed for child support by his high school girlfriend when Jason was 10. Brown, who had since come out as gay, immediately took full custody of his son and adopted Jason’s brother, Chris.

“We’re not 20 anymore, so it wasn’t just, ‘Oh, I’m not going to text you anymore’ — it was like, we have a family and a home,” the culture expert explained of the split with Jordan. “How do we separate this? And it was hard. We went to virtual counseling, we did a lot of things. But eventually, I was like, this is a moment where I need to decide, is my happiness important? And once I made that decision, I said, you know, we are going to have to break up.”

Despite the tough choice to go their separate ways, Brown said he and Jordan managed to break up in a completely amicable way. “We’re still good friends,” he said. “It’s very nice when it’s like, ‘I still love you and support you.’ I want him to be happy, he wants me to be happy.” It will be a while before Brown is ready to pursue another romantic relationship, however. “But yeah, no more wedding, so if y’all got any friends…!” he joked, before admitting, “I’m lying, I’m not ready to move on that quick, I’m not ready.”