Netflix Shares Trailer and Release Date for Docuseries on ‘America’s Next Top Model’ Controversies
The reality competition series America’s Next Top Model, a fixture of the late 2000s, is facing renewed scrutiny through a new three-part Netflix docuseries titled Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which examines the controversies surrounding the show. Host and supermodel Tyra Banks has long acknowledged the show’s problematic history.
Premiering on February 16, the documentary features interviews with Banks, producer Ken Mok, and key judges Jay Manuel, J. Alexander (also known as Miss J), and Nigel Barker. Additionally, former contestants, including Whitney Thompson, Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, and Keenyah Hill, share their experiences.
The teaser opens with Banks’ notable remark, “I was rooting for you. We were all rooting for you!” In the preview, Banks expresses her intention to reveal the realities behind the scenes of the competition. She indicates a desire to challenge the norms of the fashion industry while the footage highlights significant issues associated with ANTM, such as body shaming, toxic beauty standards, and allegations of sexual misconduct and racially insensitive shoots.
“I knew I went too far,” Banks acknowledges during the series. However, she also emphasizes that audience expectations contributed to the show’s competitive atmosphere.
At its peak, America’s Next Top Model attracted 100 million viewers worldwide and ran for 24 seasons, totaling over 300 episodes from 2003 to 2016, with a revival in 2018.
Reflecting on her time with the series at Essence’s 18th annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards, Banks noted, “Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb shit. 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.”
