Tyra Banks sets record straight on America’s Next Top Model criticism

Tyra Banks has recently broken silence on America’s Next Top Model criticism.

After receiving Luminary Spotlight award at the Essence‘s 18th annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards, the Coyote Ugly star said, “Over 20 years ago I created a show called America’s Next Top Model.” 

Tyra continued, “And 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?’”

“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,” explained the model and actress.

She continued, “Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb stuffs.”

“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. And I am so excited that I, and so many of us, have opened that door for others to follow,” added the 51-year-old.

For the unversed, the show, which was first premiered in May 2003, began facing criticism on social media in 2020.

At that time, clips from the show started going viral online, including one in which Tyra slammed a model for not fixing her tooth gap, which she addressed in a since-removed tweet after being called out.