“Tyra Banks Reflects on America’s Next Top Model Backlash: ‘Did We Get It Right? Hell No. I Said Some Dumb S—’”.Viet

Tyra Banks Defends America’s Next Top Model Legacy at ESSENCE Awards: “Did We Get It Right? Hell No.”

Tyra Banks addressed some of the longstanding criticism of America’s Next Top Model during her speech at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards on February 27 in Los Angeles, where she was honored as the first-ever Luminary Spotlight honoree. The 51-year-old former supermodel and creator of the hit show discussed the backlash that the show has received in recent years and made it clear that she believes ANTM’s legacy is one of breaking barriers and promoting diversity in the fashion industry.

Banks reflected on the creation of America’s Next Top Model, which premiered in 2003, saying, “Over 20 years ago I created a show called America’s Next Top Model,” she began. “You guys have no idea how hard we fought to bring the diversity to that television show at a time when it didn’t exist; to show different beauties at a time when the world was like, ‘What? You casting that?’”

She explained how the show aimed to represent diverse beauty, despite the pushback she received from the fashion industry. “A time when people in the fashion industry were telling me, ‘You putting the girls from the hood on your show?’ I was like, ‘Why can the girl from the trailer park become a supermodel but the girl that’s chilin’ in the park in the hood can’t?’ And we fought and we struggled and we made it happen.”

While Banks acknowledged the show’s imperfections, she firmly rejected the idea that it should be defined by the controversial moments that have resurfaced in recent years. “Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb s—,” Banks admitted, drawing laughter from the audience. “But I refuse to have my legacy be about some stuff linked together on the Internet when there were 24 cycles of changing the world.”

Banks also took the opportunity to reflect on her personal evolution, saying, “And now my 51-year-old, dimpled, cellulite-covered bigger tummy and 10 million times bigger titties is walking through that door that I opened with all of us behind us on that runway saying, ‘Baby, it’s just the beginning.’” This statement was met with thunderous applause.

The backlash against the show, particularly regarding certain controversial moments, began to surface online in 2020, prompting criticism of both Banks and the ANTM creative team. This included a now-infamous moment where Banks told a contestant to “fix” a gap in her teeth and a “race swapping” challenge that many found offensive. In response to the criticism, Banks addressed the issues on Twitter (now X), agreeing that some past moments were insensitive and expressing gratitude for the honest feedback.

At the ESSENCE event, Banks was joined by other notable figures, including Cynthia Erivo, Gabourey Sidibe, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Tia Mowry, as well as other influential individuals from the entertainment industry