Netflix’s Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model called out the controversy, the behind-the-scenes drama and more — but what were some of the biggest revelations?
The three-part docuseries, streaming now, features rare interviews with executive producers Tyra Banks and Ken Mok, former judges Jay Manuel, Miss J. Alexander and Nigel Barker as they broke down the reality competition’s best — and worst — moments.
Many contestants were also asked about their individual experiences, with some candidly addressing the discrimination, sexual assault and more they claim they faced both on and off screen. The alums also weighed in on how the perspective on the show has shifted since many of the photoshoot challenges haven’t aged well.
Banks, who also served as the show’s host, defended the reality TV competition’s intentions at the time.
“I wanted to fight against the fashion industry. One day, this idea just hit me. What if I created a show where you saw what it took to become a model,” she explained. “And for this show to represent not all white, not all skinny and to just show all the differences and all the different types of beauties. I had a feeling that I was gonna change the beauty world.”
In addition to show-related problems, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model offered insight into Banks’ falling out with Manuel. Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations about what took place behind the scenes:
Tyra Banks’ Near-Physical Fight With Les Moonves Over ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Casting
According to Tyra Banks, the team behind America’s Next Top Model “really wanted a Hispanic Latino girl” on the show before network executive Les Moonves put a stop to the casting efforts. Banks recalled how she “lost it” and things “almost got physical” between her and Moonves before she ultimately “had to replace” the potential contestant.
Moonves didn’t participate in the docuseries. The former chairman and CEO of CBS resigned in September 2018 following multiple allegations of sexual harassment, which the former exec denied. Prior to becoming CEO in 2003, Moonves worked at the network since 1995 and was previously the president of Warner Bros. Television.
Jay Manuel Defended Tyra Banks Against Janice Dickinson
While Jay Manuel was the Creative Director on the show, he also served as a judge alongside Tyra Banks and model Janice Dickinson. In the doc, Manuel recalled Banks complaining to him behind closed doors about her frustrations with how harsh Dickinson was in her critiques so he took it upon himself to clap back on screen. He referred to those clips as him not being his “best self during the judging” as a show of support for Banks.
The Fallout Out Between Jay Manuel and Tyra Banks
Jay Manuel and Tyra Banks’ friendship lasted eight seasons of the show until he expressed interest in leaving. Manuel recalled sending an email voicing his desire to leave and only receiving three words back from Banks in response. He was pressured to return for one more season — which turned into several — but he never spoke with Banks off screen again.
Producers asked Banks about her and Manuel, to which she replied, “I prefer … I should call Jay. I don’t want to do this here. But he’s a special man.”
Tyra Banks’ Falling Out With Miss. J and Nigel Baker
In 2012, America’s Next Top Model went through a shift which resulted in Miss J Alexander, Jay Manuel and Nigel Baker being fired from the show. The trio spoke out in Netflix’s docuseries about how they felt unsupported by Tyra Banks in the process.
“We were going to put out one joint press release, and they said we would all get a quote in this press release,” Manuel recalled. “We see it all the time in television shows, people saying, ‘So and so and so and so have decided to part ways.’ And Tyra, she’s like, ‘We’ll put out in our press release how we’re going to continue to work together.’ So we agreed to that.”
Banks, meanwhile, said she was very affected by losing her coworkers.
“It was probably some of the hardest news I have ever had to deliver, in my existence,” she said. “I cried myself to sleep that night. You know? They were there from the beginning. They were some of the closest people to me in my life and I had to deliver that news that the deal is up and that it’s over. You can imagine what that feels like.”
She continued: “But bosses have bosses, and the big boss was very clear — there are no sacred cows. And I heard that meaning, ‘You too, Tyra. So pick up the phone and do what I’m telling you to do.’ And the thing is, I don’t believe that they knew that it came from above. No matter how much I was explaining, ‘This was not our decision.’ To this day, I think they think that it was me.”
Shandi Sullivan Speaks Out About Sexual Assault
Cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan had a real shot of winning the show until she was sexually assaulted during a group trip to Italy. While the incident was filmed and later used as a so-called “cheating plotline” in the show, Sullivan made it clear in the doc that she was too inebriated to consent..
Sullivan slammed production – and Tyra Banks — for allowing the assault to be a main story line in the show instead of stepping in to help her.
Tyra, an executive producer and host of the show, declined to expand on the sexual assault that took place on screen, saying, “I do remember her story. It’s a little difficult for me to talk about production because that’s not my territory.”
Miss. J’s Health Struggles
“Everything changed. On December 27th of 2022, I had a stroke,” Miss J Alexander revealed at the end of the three-part special. “I didn’t know where I was other than in the hospital. I spent five weeks in a coma and I couldn’t walk and I couldn’t talk. And I thought to myself, what was I going to do?”
Miss J’s personal footage from his hospital room revealed he lived there for at least “one year and five months” because he “couldn’t walk and couldn’t speak.”
“It was emotional. I cried. I am not ashamed to say that I cried. Then once I was in the hospital, Jay and Niguel came to visit,” he recalled. “I thought back to how we used to do shows together. I cry because I just miss them so much.”
When asked if he received a visit from Tyra Banks, Miss J replied, “No, not yet. She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me. But no … not yet.”
The Most Controversial Photoshoot Concepts
America’s Next Top Model, which ran from 2003 to 2018, followed aspiring models as they competed to receive a modeling contract, a fashion spread, a cover in a major magazine and a cosmetics campaign.
Over the years, the ideas for each challenge got more and more absurd, including a photoshoot centered around homelessness, the risks of smoking and more. There were also insensitive concepts such as race-swapping, murder and eating disorders.
“There were some ideas that were wrong and were not good to have and were silly,” Nigel Baker explained, noting that for “some reason no one really seemed to see it” when they were filming.
Tyra Banks also referred to it as “dumb s***” while executive producer Ken Mok pointed to the challenge where they seemingly celebrated violence as the biggest “mistake.” Jay Manuel, meanwhile, recalled asking to be excused from the race-swapping episode but he ultimately wasn’t able to no film for it.
“I didn’t think it was controversial. I was in my own little bubble in my head,” Banks elaborated on ideas such as putting models in blackface. “Looking at the show now through the 2020 lens, it is an issue and I understood 100 percent why.”
The Concerning Medical Procedures
In addition to the concepts, the models themselves were put in positions where they had to change their appearance – sometimes permanently – to advance in the competition. Danielle Evans and Joanie Dodds were interviewed about their individual experiences getting orthodontic procedures for the sake of the show.
Elsewhere in the doc, former contestants recalled experiencing eating disorders as a result of them filming America’s Next Top Model.
How the Contestants Feel About Tyra Banks
With a multitude of alums across many seasons, the opinion on Tyra Banks was mixed with some thanking her for her support while others recalled not being protected by her. Danielle Evans recalled winning her season only to later be told by Banks that she knew the contestant wouldn’t succeed in the industry.
Keenyah Hill recalled how her entire narrative on the show surrounded her weight. Hill also pointed to a challenge where a male model was ‘aggressively hitting” on her and touching her – but her attempt to get protection turned into her being shamed.
Banks defended her reaction at the time but admitted Hill deserved more support.
Ebony Haith said she didn’t feel “protected” and felt “full disappointment” of how she was represented – and how Banks didn’t stand up for her.
The Infamous Outburst at Tiffany Richardson
Cycle 4 featured a moment where contestant Tiffany Richardson returned for redemption but didn’t make it to the end after flubbing a challenge. Tyra Banks then yelled at Tiffany about wasting her potential, saying in a now-viral moment, “We were all rooting for you!”
“I just wanted to change this woman’s life. I felt like she could have been a super model with a capital S,” Banks noted. “And I just saw all of that going down the drain. I saw her just not believing in herself and just giving up and not just giving up on the modelling competition.”
She continued: “I went too far. I lost it. It was probably bigger than her — it was family, friends, society. Black girls, all the challenges that we have, so many people saying that we’re not good enough. I think all of that was in that moment.”
Judge Miss J. Alexander called the moment scary, while Jay Manuel claimed, “There was a lot more that was really said. And some of the things that were said were really not well-intentioned. I’ll probably never repeat the lines that were said in that room, that day.”
The panel of judges recalled lawyers joining them on set one week after that moment.
Tyra Banks Defends Herself Before Teasing Another Season
While America’s Next Top Model ultimately got canceled, Tyra Banks hinted at a return after addressing the controversy.
“Looking at that show through the lens of today, it’s like, ‘Why did you do that?’ I thank you for that. That is the only way you change. That is the only way you get better is by somebody calling you out on your s***,” Banks said. “It is important. I want to let you know that I want you guys to be just as open as I am now by getting called on my s*** by when somebody calls you out on yours. Because that day will come and continue to evolve. Because that’s what we’re all doing.”
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
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