As the new Netflix docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” revisits the most controversial moments of Tyra Banks’ reality TV reign, the supermodel is retreating to her new life in Australia—far from the glare of the runway that once defined her.
The three-part docuseries, which premiered on Netflix on Feb. 16, revisits decades-old runway drama, pulling back the curtain on the darker realities behind the quest for modeling fame.
Across the series, viewers are taken inside the world of “America’s Next Top Model,” the hit competition created, produced, and hosted by Banks. It premiered in 2003 and promised to transform budding hopefuls into industry stars.
Now, more than 20 years later, the streaming platform is taking a deeper dive into the show’s most controversial moments, including allegations of body shaming and bullying, many of which placed Banks herself at the center of the storm.
Banks returned to reality TV to offer her side of the story, conceding in the docuseries that she sometimes pushed contestants “too far” in her pursuit of discovering the next breakout model.
While several flash points from her rise—and eventual fallout—on “America’s Next Top Model” are revisited, a couple of moments in particular have sparked the loudest reaction.
One of the biggest moments in the series was the unraveling of Banks’ longtime friendship with creative director Jay Manuel.
Manuel joined the series as creative director when it debuted in 2003, but says he attempted to leave just four years later.
After Season 8, he sent an email announcing his departure—only to receive a reply from Banks that read, “I am disappointed.”
Manuel alleges he felt pressured to remain on the show out of fear of being blacklisted in the industry, ultimately staying until 2012. However, it did not come without its challenges.
He claims the working relationship deteriorated, describing the environment as increasingly isolating.
“It was clear I was not allowed to speak with her outside [being on camera],” he says in the documentary. “It was like psychological torture, I felt broken.”
In the Netflix docuseries, Manuel explained that he initially wanted to walk away from the series because he “didn’t like what the show was becoming,” adding that it was “chipping away at my soul.”
When the incident is raised on camera two decades later, Banks declines to engage in detail.
“Nah,” she responds. “I’d prefer … yeah, I should call Jay. He’s a special man.”
However, one year after the documentary was filmed, Manuel notes that he is still waiting for that call.
“I never got that phone call. I don’t think I’m getting a phone call. She’s got my number,” he told People.
Meanwhile, the budding models also recounted their own stories, alleging fat-shaming and blaming Banks for not protecting models during disastrous situations.
One of the allegations sees Shandi Sullivan recalling the moment she lost her virginity during Season 2 while drunk and “blacked out.”
The producers “should have been, like, ‘All right, this has gone too far, we got to pull her out of this,’” Sullivan said.
Meanwhile, contestant Keenyah Hill was groped by a male model and told the judges. However, they reprimanded her for not being more playful.
“I say to Keenyah, ‘boo-boo, I am so sorry.’ None of us knew [how to best handle that situation]. Network executives didn’t know, and I did the best that I could at the time. She deserved more,” Banks said in the newly released docuseries.
Another moment that was highlighted in the docuseries was Banks’ infamous meltdown, which saw her yelling at contestant Tiffany Richardson when the budding model seemingly gave up on herself.
“I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! How dare you!” Banks said during the viral clip.
While reflecting on the moment, Banks says, “I just saw all that [work] going down the drain. I saw her just not believing in herself and giving up and not just giving up on a modeling competition, but deeper. … I went too far. You know, I lost it. It was probably bigger than her. … That’s some Black girl stuff that goes real deep inside of me.”
However, insiders told The Hollywood Reporter that things were a lot worse than they seemed and that Banks even had to be escorted out.
As the docuseries lifts the lid on the dark side of the modeling world, Banks is retreating to her life in Australia, where she moved in 2023.
Banks, who was born and raised in Inglewood, CA, relocated to Sydney in late 2023, along with her longtime partner, Louis Bélanger-Martin, and her son, York, 10. She shed light on the reasons behind their move during an appearance on “Today With Jenna & Friends.”
Put simply, the “America’s Next Top Model” host said she “fell in love” with Australia after she started spending more time there while working on her ice cream brand, SMiZE & Dream.
“I’ve been going to Australia a lot because we were making a lot of our ice cream there in this big facility, doing our recipes,” she explained to host Jenna Bush Hager. “I just fell in love with it. Every time I went back, and went back…”
Furthermore, Banks said that she felt her business had incredible potential in Australia, noting that it is one of “three countries that eat the most ice cream” alongside America and New Zealand.
“So I was like, ‘I’m happy here and they love to eat some ice cream. So, are we going to do this, family?’ And we did,” she added.
Before making the move to Australia, Banks had been living in a $4.7 million oceanfront home in Malibu, CA, which she purchased in 2021. That property was decimated in the California wildfires in January.
During a Jan. 20 appearance on Australian morning show “Sunrise,” Banks revealed that they had been in Sydney when they received the devastating news.
“I lost my house,” she shared. “I haven’t really talked about it, but yeah, I have. I just didn’t want to pull a lot of attention to me. I feel that there’s a lot of people that need that attention, so I haven’t really talked about it, but I can’t sit here and not tell the truth, so yeah, we lost our house.”
