Karamo Brown and Sean Spicer may have their differences, but that didn’t prevent the Queer Eye star from having “meaningful” and “heartfelt conversations” with the former White House press secretary while competing on Dancing With the Stars.
Chatting with PEOPLE Now on Thursday, Brown opened up about “planting seeds” in Spicer’s mind and how they bonded while talking about their families.
“We’re in a space where we’re divided as a country and people don’t want to talk anymore and that’s perpetuated by the shows we watch on TV, where people are arguing and arguing and arguing,” he said. “I think there’s space for real heartfelt conversation where you respect someone but you can still disagree.”
Brown, 39, was eliminated from the ABC dancing competition’s 28th season on Oct. 28, alongside his pro partner Jenna Johnson. Although Spicer, 48, has consistently been given the lowest scores from the judges, he has remained on the show thanks to fan votes.
With neighboring trailers throughout their time on the show, Brown said he was able to talk to his fellow DWTS contestant about real issues affecting the LGBT community.
“What I learned with Sean is that if you can have those conversations and expose them to your life, you can plant those seeds that will eventually grow and blossom,” he said. “That’s when you see real change. I saw that happen.”
“The minute we got to the dance floor, he was sobbing that I got voted off,” he continued. “Someone doesn’t sob if you haven’t touched their heart. So it was a win for me.”
Brown quipped that he and Spicer “got very close” as a result of their nearby trailers.
“We would come out and we would just start talking about the competition, but then I would also talk about his family, which then would open me up to talk about my family,” Brown shared about their chats.
RELATED ARTICLE: DWTS Pro Jenna Johnson Says Partner Karamo Brown ‘Went Out with a Bang’: ‘He Really Left His Mark’
When the DWTS cast was announced, Brown came under fire for noting that he looked to have “respectful conversations” with Spicer instead of disapproving of his addition to the lineup.
Brown stayed true to his word, however, and said he talked to Spicer about the negative impact that the Trump administration’s rhetoric surrounding the LGBT community can have on real people — including himself.
“Understand that when the administration you support talks about hurting people who are part of the LGBT community, you’re talking about me,” he said about his conversations with Spicer. “So would you want to see my son who you just gave a big hug to or my fiancé who you just laughed it up with, would you want to see us get hurt? And you see him [say] ‘No.’ And it’s like, ‘Well, please think about that when you’re talking to your constituents or talking to people because if you do say yes, you’re talking about me.’ ”
On Tuesday, Brown admitted to Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that Spicer “can’t dance!”
“I was robbed, I should have still been there,” he said.
Still, through it all, Brown’s goal was to show kindness.
“My goal coming into this was to introduce myself to people who have never seen Queer Eye, to let them know who I am,” he told reporters following his elimination. “And also, my goal has always been to show how if you can show kindness and lead with love, things can change.”
“Day one I got backlash [for supporting Spicer],” he continued. “I started this show with people telling me, ‘You’re horrible, you’re crazy, you’re stupid.’ Because I showed someone who has a different political view than mine kindness.”
Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. ET) on ABC.