02/12/2026
After YEARS of silence, Tyra Banks is finally addressing the America's Next Top Model controversies and honestly it's about time.
Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model drops on Netflix February 16 (that's in FOUR DAYS) and based on the trailer that just dropped, Tyra is holding absolutely NOTHING back. She literally admits on camera, "I knew I went too far."
The three part documentary features Tyra, all the original judges including Jay Manuel, Miss J, and Nigel Barker, plus former contestants who are FINALLY telling their side of the story. And some of what they're saying is genuinely shocking.
The show ran for 24 cycles from 2003 to 2016 and had over 100 million viewers at its peak. But during the pandemic when everyone was rewatching old seasons, people started realizing how problematic so many moments actually were. Body shaming, forced makeovers that included medical and dental procedures without proper consent, photoshoots where contestants were put in makeup to look like different races, and so much more.
Former contestant Lisa D'Amato called Tyra a "narcissist" and a "slimy little snake" in a TMZ interview and claimed the Netflix doc is only happening because Tyra found out contestants were doing a tell all on E! Network in March that would expose even MORE behind the scenes psychological manipulation.
In the trailer, Jay Manuel straight up says, "I realized Tyra would do anything for the success of her show." And the judges Miss J and Nigel reveal they were all fired in 2012 when their contracts expired and were never brought back despite being core parts of the show for a decade.
Tyra tries to defend herself by saying she was fighting against the fashion industry and trying to create diversity. But then she also partially blames THE AUDIENCE saying, "It was very intense, but you guys were demanding it, so we kept pushing more and more and more."
Cycle 6 winner Danielle Evans said it perfectly: "It's a TV show to you guys, but this is my life."
What's wild is Tyra NEVER spoke about any of this publicly until she gave a defiant speech at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards last year where she said, "Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb stuff. But I refuse to have my legacy be about some stuff linked together on the internet."
This documentary is gonna be absolutely explosive. Drops February 16. Four days away.
Are you watching?