As someone who’s spent years observing the fashion industry, I’ve always been struck by the contrast between its polished image and the reality for those trying to break in. The stories coming out of shows like America’s Next Top Model are genuinely disturbing – we’re talking about contestants experiencing severe hunger, exhaustion, even physical and emotional trauma. It’s a far cry from the glamorous world we see in magazines, and frankly, some of the allegations of harsh treatment border on psychological manipulation. It really makes you question what’s happening behind the scenes.
After facing years of criticism, Tyra Banks, the executive producer and judge of America’s Next Top Model, is now speaking out about the show’s controversies in a new three-part Netflix series called Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. The series includes interviews with key figures from the show, like catwalk coach J Alexander (Miss Jay), creative director Jay Manuel, photographer Nigel Barker, and executive producer Ken Mok.
America’s Next Top Model has become popular again, but this time, many new viewers who discovered it during the pandemic are criticizing it. Tyra Banks recognizes this, admitting the show has sparked both positive and negative reactions.
Banks, 52, admitted she crossed the line while filming the reality show, which aired on UPN, CW, and VH1 between 2003 and 2018. She explained that she kept escalating the drama because she was trying to deliver what viewers expected.
But some former contestants are not convinced.
Adrianne Curry, the winner of the first cycle of the reality show, suffered lasting physical trauma as a result of her time on the program.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, 43-year-old Kate Moss recalled that models on set were weighed daily and that she often felt extremely hungry.
We often had to wait all day for food to arrive on set, and we were constantly starving. I’ve never experienced hunger like that before, she explained.
We had to stay awake until after the elimination challenge, which often didn’t finish until 3 AM. Then, a trainer would come in and wake us up again at 5 AM.
Curry, then 20 years old, said she was constantly hungry because their lifestyle involved rushing around all the time.
She explained that they never had time for meals – breakfast or lunch – because catering was constantly promised but never arrived. Now she realizes this was intentional; they deliberately kept everyone sleep-deprived, hungry, and stressed to create more dramatic television.
Around ten years after that, Marvin Cortes competed on the first season of the show that included both men and women in 2013, and he now says he went through something comparable.
They always brought food to us right before filming, which was really strange. And they’d tell you while you were eating that you needed to be ready to shoot in ten or fifteen minutes, which was just awkward.
Models are always told not to eat before a photoshoot, but we often weren’t allowed to eat at all. And when we did get food, it was always at the most inconvenient moments. I’m not sure if that was intentional.
Thirty-three-year-old Cortes, who came in second place to Jourdan Miller, described watching the judges and crew eat as incredibly difficult. He also said that even if food was left over, the contestants weren’t permitted to bring it back to their hotel.
He explained to the Daily Mail that the bus company wouldn’t allow passengers to bring food on board. Being from a large family and used to making do, he thought he could save money by taking the food home and having it for lunch later, but they wouldn’t permit passengers to bring any food back with them.
As a lifestyle expert, I’ve heard from contestants on the show that while they received a $60 daily food allowance, it wasn’t always enough. Since they weren’t actually paid to be on the show, many found themselves having to choose between eating and saving that money to cover their essential bills and rent back home. It was a really tough situation for them, honestly.
He explained that they only received $60 a day and had to cover all their own expenses. Groceries were delivered by someone they sent, but they had to provide the shopping list and the funds.
Honestly, I was skipping meals to save every penny! It sounds crazy, but we weren’t getting paid anything for this, and I still had bills piling up back home. I needed at least two thousand dollars saved up by the time I finished, because that’s what was due as soon as I got back. It just felt…off, you know? Like, the CW didn’t even bother to ask about our basic expenses, we just had to stress about it ourselves. It felt really cheap and thoughtless of them, honestly.
The show also featured extreme makeovers. These transformations sometimes caused lasting physical and emotional damage to the participants, due to both the procedures and the intense competition.
Oh my god, can you believe it? Steph Curry apparently hated having to change her hair for that new show! She said they chopped off six whole inches to give her this ‘razored bob,’ and it was SO damaging – she ended up with painful sores on her scalp! Then, get this, they just covered it all up with a weave! It sounds absolutely awful, and honestly, I’m furious on her behalf. She didn’t even want to be a part of it, and they did this to her!
She explained that because her hair wasn’t strong enough for a weave, it caused permanent damage to her scalp. She developed painful, open sores and experienced intense discomfort, describing how her skin felt like it was peeling off.
Today, she still views hair salons as ‘torture chambers.’
She’s decided to embrace her gray hair and let it grow naturally. She’s also stopped going to the salon, only getting a trim every few months.
But she wasn’t alone in getting an extreme makeover.
Last year, in her memoir, former America’s Next Top Model contestant Sarah Hartshorne revealed that producers tried to get a dramatic response from her after giving her a blonde pixie cut. Hartshorne competed on the show’s ninth cycle as a plus-size model.
I was absolutely floored when I heard about what they asked her. Apparently, a producer actually questioned if her look would come across as too masculine! And then, unbelievably, they worried it would make her appear curvier, even suggesting she might be seen as plus-size. It was just awful and completely undermined her talent.
She also stated that a producer questioned her about a revealing photoshoot she did for the show, specifically asking if she, as a plus-size contestant, felt uncomfortable showing her midriff.
On the reality show, finalist Chelsey Hersey had her teeth altered – each one shaved down by 0.25mm – to emphasize her gap tooth, at the direction of the show’s creator. This echoed a previous instance where a former contestant, Dani Evans, had her gap closed. Another contestant, Joanie Dodds, faced even more drastic dental work, losing four teeth and having others reshaped due to her slightly crooked smile.
Model Michelle Deighton developed impetigo, a very contagious skin infection, and needed to see a doctor while working on set.
Despite Curry’s determination, some contestants were removed from the competition, or chose to leave, because they didn’t want to change their appearance or be photographed nude.
As a huge fan, I’ve always felt like the show really put contestants through the wringer. It seemed like the challenges weren’t just difficult, but deliberately designed to make people confront their biggest fears – and honestly, I think it was all for dramatic effect on television.
One challenge sparked outrage when contestants were asked to portray different ethnicities. Another became dangerously serious when CariDee English, a contestant hoping to become a model, was rescued from the water suffering from hypothermia.
Cortes explained that the show requires contestants to share very personal details through questionnaires. He pointed to Don Benjamin, who struggled with anxiety, as an example – producers knew Benjamin was afraid of being underwater and in confined spaces, yet they still asked him to do an underwater photoshoot.
According to Cortes, the contestants often reacted strongly to the challenges. They’d quickly try to discover each other’s fears – things like cockroaches or spiders – and then the show would create challenges based on those fears. Ultimately, the goal was to push contestants’ buttons and create compelling television.
He felt manipulated, saying producers deliberately waited to tell him he’d been accepted onto the show because they knew he was already feeling vulnerable. He believes they intentionally led him to believe he hadn’t made it, just to capture a bigger emotional reaction when he finally found out he was in.
Cortes alleged that show producers didn’t address racist behavior, pressured him to reveal other contestants’ personal information during a challenge involving Perez Hilton, and didn’t offer him sufficient support after the show ended.
He remembered one specific time when the therapist, as part of their agreement, was expected to contact us and see how we were doing.
She called me while she was driving in traffic, sounding distracted. She said, “You’ve come so far, you should be proud. Are you doing okay?” I said I was mostly fine, and she replied, “Good. I just wanted to check in and wish you well. Remember to feel proud of yourself.”
He explained that after he reached out, he never heard back from them and was essentially discouraged from contacting them again. He felt like his managers deliberately withheld resources they clearly possessed, only offering help when it benefited them directly. It felt like they were only nice when they wanted something.
Winners of what Curry calls the ‘Game of Thrones’ competition usually got magazine features and modeling contracts, along with other rewards.
As a longtime fan, I was really shocked to hear what happened with Curry. She said the show’s producers completely misled her about the actual prize. And the Revlon campaign they promised? It wasn’t glamorous at all. She described it as incredibly embarrassing – she was stuck in a conference room with a bunch of editors while someone just put makeup on her. It just didn’t feel like the win it should have been.
After winning $10,000, 40 percent went to her modeling agency, Wilhelmina. She also had to pay taxes and reimburse her mother, who had supported her while she lived in New York. Her rent for the apartment – which she shared with six other models – cost between $2,000 and $3,000 per month.
Now living privately in Montana and working as a successful Avon representative, Curry warns against trusting anyone in the modeling world, stating that their words aren’t genuine.
She argued that in the entertainment industry, people often use others to advance their own careers. She claimed those in power are unconcerned with the well-being of those they exploit, and even actively ignore the harm caused by body shaming, all while profiting from the system.
Kelly Cutrone, a 60-year-old former judge on the show, stated she never witnessed any abuse of models, despite being asked to participate in the series but declining.
Oh my gosh, you guys, did you see what our judge, the amazing PR guru, said about the show? She totally defended it, telling everyone it’s so important! She said it’s like… a signal, a ‘bird call’ almost, to get young people interested in fashion. Like, it inspires the next generation of designers and stylists! I knew she got it! She gets why this show is everything!
She compared winning to finding a golden ticket in Willy Wonka, saying it felt like a truly special and lucky experience for those who succeeded.
Stylist Ty-Ron Mayes, who worked as a fashion consultant on the reality show, described Banks as a ‘true artist’ and explained that the program was simply trying to be innovative and challenge boundaries.
Keep in mind while watching documentaries that even though some models may seem unhappy or like they’re complaining, the fashion industry is incredibly tough.
He told the Daily Mail that people shouldn’t blame Tyra Banks for their lack of success, and those who are successful aren’t voicing complaints. He said this before appearing in The Annual Blue Jacket Fashion Show earlier this month.
He felt it was a long time coming, explaining that people on social media had been heavily criticizing Banks for things that happened in competitions twenty years prior. He acknowledged the ‘race swapping’ challenge was ‘controversial’ and hadn’t held up well over time.
Despite having a good experience with Banks – who he says was kind and protective of the team – Cortes questions why the series is being released now.
This timing is perfect, coinciding with Tyra Banks’ promotion of her ice cream line, SMiZE & DREAM, and Manuel’s renewed publicity for his 2020 book, The Wig, the Bh, and the Meltdown.
This news follows speculation about a possible new phase or project. People believe Tyra is strategic and doesn’t make moves without careful consideration.
He clarified it wasn’t about holding anyone responsible, suggesting Banks is likely attempting to revive the show and generate some buzz.
Netflix likely noticed a surge in popularity during the pandemic and recognized continued interest. This current push seems deliberately planned to capitalize on that and prepare for a new phase.
The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Banks and Netflix for comment.
Read More
- MLBB x KOF Encore 2026: List of bingo patterns
- Overwatch Domina counters
- Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 Phase One Character Banners: Who should you pull
- eFootball 2026 Starter Set Gabriel Batistuta pack review
- Brawl Stars Brawlentines Community Event: Brawler Dates, Community goals, Voting, Rewards, and more
- Lana Del Rey and swamp-guide husband Jeremy Dufrene are mobbed by fans as they leave their New York hotel after Fashion Week appearance
- Gold Rate Forecast
- Breaking Down the Ending of the Ice Skating Romance Drama Finding Her Edge
- ‘Reacher’s Pile of Source Material Presents a Strange Problem
- Top 10 Super Bowl Commercials of 2026: Ranked and Reviewed
2026-02-17 02:54