Legendary supermodel Tyra Banks has revealed she made up her character on America’s Next Top Model.
According to People, the excessive persona was just an act, not her true self.
“I had a persona on TV that was totally different than who I am in real life. In real life, I have a lot of difficulty with giving feedback, like at work. I used to have to have a coach train me on how to say, ‘Well, you could have done this better.’”
“Now I’ve learned that giving people feedback, whether it’s people that you work with or your family or your friends, helps them and it helps your relationship. It’s like therapy for your relationship so that you can continue to keep that conversation going and stuff.”
Tyra Banks’ TV Persona Was Controversial
On ANTM, Tyra Banks was a confrontational and controversial judge.
Some of the incidents she was infamous for included:
- She made some models shoot in cold water, and one of them got hypothermia
- She pressured other models to cut their hair
- She asked one model to pose inside a casket shortly after her friend passed away
- She made non-Black models wear Blackface
However…
“It’s a character. It’s not me in real life at all.”
In 2020, Tyra Banks acknowledged in a tweet that her actions had traumatized some contestants.
“Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you. Looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs.”
