Karamo Brown has seemingly confirmed his romantic relationship with Jussie Smollett, following a public outing in Los Angeles where the two were photographed holding hands and displaying affection. Brown, 45, addressed his dating life on the "Reality With The King" podcast on Tuesday, stating he is dating a celebrity Black man and that their relationship is not a secret.
"It's not like we're hiding it. We go out. We hold hands everywhere," Brown said on the podcast. Images published by TMZ showed Brown and Smollett, 44, together on Monday, engaged in affectionate gestures while running errands. The outlet reported that the two are dating.
During the podcast, host Carlos King expressed surprise upon learning the identity of Brown's partner but described the couple as "beautiful" and a good match.
Brown shared that he feels he has met his "equal" and is "100 percent sure" about his current partner, describing the relationship as one where he feels "100 percent safe" and "100 percent secure." He added that he believes this person is his "forever person" and potential "husband."
He also noted that their relationship is characterized by ease and mutual understanding, with "constant laughter" and "constant love."
This news follows Brown's public support for Smollett. He was reportedly seen supporting Smollett's performance at Harlem Pride's "17 Shades of Pride" celebration over the weekend. Brown also publicly defended Smollett against criticism from 50 Cent, who had mocked Smollett's performance. Brown commented on 50 Cent's Instagram post, stating, "I was at this PRIDE event and Jussie killed it. F–k off for using one clip from the entire 30 min show to try bring someone down!"
Smollett has been navigating a public comeback after facing accusations of staging a hate crime hoax in 2019. While he was convicted in December 2021, his conviction was overturned in November 2024 by the Illinois Supreme Court. The court ruled that his rights were violated due to the initial dropping of charges by Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx before a special prosecutor decided to retry the case.