‘ANTM’ Docuseries Directors Discuss Tyra Banks’ Involvement

Fans are raving about the Netflix documentary series Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, particularly about Tyra Banks’ appearance throughout. But the directors of the series have asserted that the series would’ve proceeded to be made “regardless” of her willingness to participate or not.

In a recent interview with The Wrap, Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy spoke about working on the Netflix series and how they had secured other figures key to the reality show such as models and judges before Banks came on board. 

“This documentary was happening, regardless if she was giving an interview or not, and she decided she did want to share her side of the story,” Loushy said. “I’m very happy that she did, because it gave the opportunity to really go deep into the debates, into the start of the idea, and not by a third person but from Tyra, herself, to really hear the journey that she’s been through.”

Tyra Banks was very cooperative with the directors, and was given the green light to discuss any topic that has stemmed from ANTM’s 24 seasons from the racism and unhealthy physical qualifications models had to face to a sexual assault on Cycle 2 participant Shandi Sullivan. But there was one thing the supermodel didn’t want to tackle – her relationship with Jay Manuel, a longtime friend and former judge who Banks fired from the show in 2012 along with Miss J. Alexander and Nigel Barker under pressure from VH1. 

“The fact that she said, ‘I don’t want to talk about it’ … is a powerful answer. It wasn’t dodging the bullet. It was saying, ‘this is still painful,’” Sivan said to The Wrap. The directors also confirmed that Banks didn’t have editorial control and wasn’t given access to the final cut before the series’ premiere on Feb. 16. 

Reactions to the show have been plentiful, with viewers praising those from the show who appeared and shared their stories. Many others zeroed in on Tyra Banks and criticized her for seeming not to take any responsibility for what transpired on the show and behind the scenes. Others also criticized her for the lack of communication with Miss J. Alexander. “Was the #RealityCheck ANTM documentary meant to help Tyra Banks clear her name? Cause idk if it did,” one user wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.