‘DWTS’ Karamo Brown Responds To Backlash Over Sean Spicer Casting

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy star Karamo Brown has responded to backlash over the casting of Sean Spicer as a contestant for Season 28 of ABC’s Dancing With the Stars. Brown says he is hopeful to learn more about his fellow performer and is looking forward to “respectful conversations” with the former White House Press Secretary.

Fans were upset to learn that Spicer was named as one of the contestants of the reality dance competition series. The show announced its new roster of celebrity competitors on Good Morning America one year after experiencing fan backlash regarding the mirrorball trophy win of radio personality Bobby Bones, who emerged victorious for the 27th season of the series despite having no real dance skills.

Brown was also dealt some heavy-handed blows by fans, who criticized the Queer Eye star on social media for not speaking out against Spicer’s casting. Karamo commented on a Twitter post that he will try to understand Spicer’s personal and political views before judging him, reported People Magazine.

Karamo is looked to by fans as someone who overcame drug addiction and other life traumas to find a place of peace and happiness in his life. The former Real World star also embraced fatherhood, gaining full custody of a son conceived with a girlfriend at the age of 15, a year before coming out to his friends and family, as well as his son’s brother, reported Parents.com. Karamo had no idea he was a father and learned of his son’s existence when the boy was 10-years-old. He and long-time love Ian Jordan now raise the two boys together.

First, I have no say who is on the cast and didn’t find out till this morning that he is on! But I’ll tell you this… I’m excited to sit down w/ him and engage in a respectful conversations. Only way things get better is if we try to educate those who have different POV than us.

— Karamo (@Karamo) August 21, 2019

Karamo will likely maintain his stance of neutrality throughout the series, giving himself a chance to know Spicer as a person before passing any judgment on him.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByVmOUND9di/

Fans who are upset with Spicer’s casting might find an ally in Dancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron, who announced the former White House Press Secretary’s arrival to the dance series on Good Morning America with an upbeat tone on August 21 but revealed his own displeasure with the casting in a deeply personal post on Twitter, where he noted he hoped this season would be less about the “exhausting political climate” and more about a “joyful respite” for viewers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1bPJ7IB1XR/

He did get in one quip during GMA, stating that Spicer would have another job at the show besides his work as a celebrity competitor. Tom said, “the nice thing is, Sean will be in charge of assessing audience size,” poking fun at the controversy Spicer created during his half-year term working for the Trump administration regarding the crowd size at the 2017 presidential inauguration.

Dancing With the Stars will debut its 28th season on Monday, September 16 on ABC.