Netflix’s America’s Next Top Model Documentary Reopens Old Wounds

Netflix has dropped a three-part documentary on America’s Next Top Model. The three episodes take us through the different phases of the hit series, which had record ratings on the now-defunct UPN television network. Tyra Banks finally sits down to tell her side of the story, addressing the problematic photo shoots and treatment of contestants.

The often blatant criticism of the contestants’ looks, body types, and personalities was normalized when the series originally aired between 2003 and 2018 across 24 cycles. In 2020, the show gained a new audience when it began streaming. Gen Z viewers flooded social media with content expressing their dismay over the body shaming, bullying, and painful medical procedures the women endured on the show. That online attention also brought original viewers back, this time watching through a more socially conscious and emotionally intelligent lens.

The documentary begins by walking us through Tyra Banks’s vision of creating a modeling show that was “The Real World meets American Idol.”

Tyra Banks set out to change the standard of beauty in the modeling world. However, the results were somewhat of a mixed bag. While a few contestants went on to have successful careers, most were unable to model professionally after the show. It was disheartening to hear contestants and even past winners, say they were shut out of professional modeling because of their association with the reality series. In many cases, the show didn’t help their careers; it ultimately hurt them. Success stories like Winnie Harlow’s were rare over the course of 24 cycles.

Perhaps the most jaw-dropping parts of the documentary involve what wasn’t shown on air. Shandi Sullivan from Season 2 had a memorable storyline after cheating on her boyfriend while the contestants were abroad. Viewers saw a tipsy Shandi in a hot tub getting intimate with a foreign model. We witnessed the shame and guilt she felt afterward, along with the gut-wrenching fallout during her phone call with her boyfriend.

What we didn’t know was that Shandi says she was heavily intoxicated and blacked out during much of the encounter, leaving gaps in her memory of what happened. She believes the production team should have stepped in rather than continuing to film. It raises serious questions about consent and whether production failed to protect her under the guise of “we don’t intervene — this is a documentary.”

Of course, the documentary revisits the most quoted moment in the show’s history: Tyra Banks yelling at contestant Tiffany Richardson during her Cycle 4 elimination. “We were all rooting for you!” became the scream heard around the world. According to the documentary, much of that exchange was edited out, and lawyers were present at the following elimination. It leaves you wondering what was left on the cutting room floor.

The series also revisits several controversial moments: the race-switching photo shoot, the violent “death” photo shoot, Dani Evans from Cycle 6 being pressured to close her gap, and Keenyah Hill feeling ignored after expressing discomfort about a male model touching her.

The documentary spends significant time exploring the journeys of longtime judges Jay Manuel, Jay “Miss Jay” Alexander, and Nigel Barker. Tyra Banks gives her perspective on their departures, insisting the decision was neither hers nor producer Ken Mok’s.

One of the most heartbreaking revelations is that Jay Alexander suffered a stroke in 2022 and is still recovering. It was touching to see Nigel Barker and Jay Manuel publicly offer their love and support for their longtime colleague and friend. Jay Alexander shared that Tyra sent him a text but has not yet visited him. Jay Manuel spoke candidly about his complicated working relationship with Tyra. When she was asked about him, however, she declined to elaborate beyond saying, “She needs to call him” and “He’s a special man,” effectively shutting down further discussion. The audience is left to fill in the blanks.

And that brings us back to Tyra Banks.

She takes some accountability for the distasteful photo shoots, missteps, and harsh critiques but ultimately frames it as “I did the best I could at the time.” At moments, her interview feels performative. It’s unclear what her true intentions were for participating in the documentary. Her responses often lack depth, and she deflects difficult questions by suggesting she wasn’t in control of production decisions or that Ken Mok shaped the show’s storylines.

Her motives seem a bit clearer toward the end when she mentions being ready for Cycle 25. Could this be a tease for an America’s Next Top Model reboot? It might explain why she appears more focused on protecting her legacy than fully unpacking the truth.

Thankfully, the former contestants and judges had no hesitation in sharing their authentic stories. Their candor makes the documentary a compelling and yes, juicy, watch, giving longtime fans much of what we’ve been waiting years to hear.

The three-part America’s Next Top Model documentary is now streaming on Netflix.

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