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Curious about how much each of the Fab Five earns from their transformative work on “Queer Eye”? While specific figures remain under wraps, Jonathan Van Ness assures fans that the team shared equal pay when the show first aired. In a 2018 conversation with Wealth Simple, Van Ness emphasized the importance of parity, noting, “We banded together to ensure equal pay. We’re a unit, and any disparity would create a toxic environment.”
How much cash does each member of the Fab Five pull down for helping heroes sparkle on “Queer Eye”? While there’s nothing on the record that confirms their current salaries, Jonathan Van Ness has reassured fans that the entire team is being paid the same amount of money — or at least they were when the show launched. “When the boys and I were cast we banded together and made sure we got paid the same thing,” they told Wealth Simple in 2018. “I’m really into that part of our story. We’re homies. We’d all feel so resentful if one of us was getting more or less than the others. It would create a very, like, not cool work environment.”
As the show progressed, the main cast successfully renegotiated their contracts for Season 3. Karamo Brown confirmed they received a raise and expressed satisfaction with his new earnings. He also credited Tan France for maintaining harmony within the group. Bobby Berk shared that while he managed to break even by the end of Seasons 3 and 4, he still saw a modest percentage increase. Thankfully, the hosts of “Queer Eye” have ample opportunities to supplement their income through various endeavors.
Have their salaries increased since then? The Fab Five have remained tight-lipped about any further raises. Nevertheless, they have explored various lucrative avenues outside the show. Each member has engaged in brand endorsements, partnerships, and entrepreneurial ventures. Antoni Porowski, for instance, co-founded a gourmet pet food line, Yummers, with Jonathan Van Ness, who also launched JVN Hair, a hair care brand. Karamo Brown became a spokesperson for the PrEp pill by ViiV Healthcare, aligning with his advocacy roots. Through social media, the team promotes products and services, further expanding their income streams.
Why do the Fab Five endorse brands, you ask? Bobby Berk offers insight into this strategy. On the Your Rich BFF Podcast, he explained, “Fans often question our brand partnerships, but this is our income source. We don’t earn from the show itself, so these deals are crucial for us to continue doing what we love.” Clearly, the “Queer Eye” cast has found a savvy way to balance their financial needs and their passion for helping others.
Endorsements help sweeten the pot for the Queer Eye gang
Have the Fab Five’s salaries gone up since Season 3? The team hasn’t commented publicly about any further raises. Regardless, several clear sources of extra revenue have always been available to the team. Each member of the Fab Five have landed endorsement deals, created brand partnerships, and generated their own side businesses. For example, Antoni Porowski built his own gourmet pet food brand called Yummers alongside Jonathan Van Ness. Van Ness, meanwhile, has launched a hair care line called JVN Hair. Karamo Brown also endorsed the PrEp pill by ViiV Healthcare — another good cause from a former MTV star who got his “Real World” gig by protesting the media giant. Most of the group promotes products, services, and businesses via Instagram and other social media. All of this valuable exposure can result in more gigs, and even more cash-rich side hustles.
For those struggling to understand why the Fab Five would hawk products for makeup or pharmaceutical titans, Bobby Berk has an explanation. “Fans would get annoyed with the Fab Five because we were often promoting brands, promoting companies, doing brand partnerships and they were like, ‘Oh, we’re just so sick of this,’” he told Your Rich BFF Podcast. “And we’re like, ‘Well, girl, we don’t make money off the show. This is our form of income. How do you think we continue to do the show?’” That’s a wise question, and one the whole cast of “Queer Eye” seems to have an answer for.