Tyra Banks Breaks Silence on ANTM Backlash: “Did We Get It Right? HELL NO. But We Changed the World”

At the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards on February 27, 2025, Tyra Banks took the stage as the first-ever Luminary Spotlight honoree, delivering a powerful speech that directly addressed the long-standing criticism of America’s Next Top Model (ANTM).

Standing before an audience of Hollywood’s most influential Black women, Banks reflected on the 24-season legacy of the groundbreaking reality competition she created in 2003.

While acknowledging the show’s flaws, she made it clear that its impact on diversity and representation in fashion should not be erased by online backlash.

“We Fought to Make a Difference”

“Over 20 years ago, I created a show called America’s Next Top Model,” Banks, 51, began. “And you guys have no idea how hard we fought to bring diversity to that television show at a time when it didn’t exist. To show different beauties when the world was like, ‘What? You casting that?’”

She recalled the resistance from the fashion industry, where executives questioned her decision to feature models from underprivileged backgrounds.

“I was like, ‘Why can a girl from a trailer park become a supermodel, but the girl chilling in the park in the hood can’t?’” she continued. “We fought. We struggled. And we made it happen.”

Clapping Back at the Backlash

In recent years, ANTM has come under scrutiny for controversial moments, including challenges that critics have labeled problematic and insensitive.

In 2020, resurfaced clips reignited conversations about certain judging comments, modeling challenges, and the show’s treatment of contestants.

One infamous clip showed Banks advising a contestant to “fix” the gap in her teeth, while another featured a highly criticized “race-swapping” challenge where contestants had to model in darkened makeup resembling blackface.

Banks did not shy away from addressing these criticisms head-on.

“Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb s—,” she admitted, prompting laughter from the audience. “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.”

The audience erupted in applause as Banks emphasized the doors she and the ANTM team opened for underrepresented models, paving the way for diverse beauty standards in mainstream media.

A New Era for Tyra Banks

As she closed her speech, Banks made a bold declaration about embracing her journey—including her evolving body image and self-acceptance.

“And now, my 51-year-old, dimpled, cellulite-covered, bigger tummy and 10-million-times-bigger titties is walking through that door that I opened, with all of us behind us on that runway saying, ‘Baby, this is just the beginning,’” she said, earning a standing ovation.

Owning the Past, Embracing the Future

Banks previously acknowledged the show’s missteps in a statement on Twitter (now X) in 2020, writing:

“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.”

Despite past controversies, Banks continues to be a trailblazer in the industry, with her influence still shaping beauty and fashion.

At the ESSENCE event, she was joined by a lineup of Hollywood’s top Black women, including Cynthia Erivo, Gabourey Sidibe, Yvette Nicole Brown, and Tia Mowry, reinforcing the power of Black women in entertainment.

Whether celebrated or criticized, one thing is certain: Tyra Banks refuses to let her legacy be reduced to viral clips—because, as she sees it, she changed the world.