Tyra Banks Toxic Scandals Rock Americas Next Top Model

has come under fire following the release of Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. 

The show delves into the toxic truth behind the Noughties competition series - with former contestants speaking out about the horrific conditions on set and behind the scenes. 

Fronted by supermodel Tyra, the series plucked aspiring models out of obscurity and offered them a global stage to showcase their talents, promising overnight fame and the chance to earn the title of 'America's Next Top Model'. 

Yet two decades on, the contestants have spoken out about being pushed to their physical and mental limits as they tried to live up to Tyra's exacting standards, while producers would toy with their emotions to create drama. 

The Netflix expose looks back on some of the show's biggest controversies, with host Tyra, TV producer Ken Mok and judges Jay Manuel, Miss J and Nigel, questioned about the show alongside former contestants. 

So what were America's Next Top Model's biggest scandals? 

Controversial photoshoots 

While ANTM was known for pushing the boundaries with its photoshoots, one of its most unhinged concepts came in season four, when the models were required to 'swap race'.

The shoot was presented to demonstrate how makeup can 'transform' but it saw the white models don blackface while the black models were dressed up as Native American and Korean - all while posing with a child of the same race they were representing. 

Tyra defended the shoot, confessing: 'I didn’t think it was controversial. I was in my own little bubble, in my own little head. This was my way of showing the world that brown and black is beautiful.'

To make matters worse, the concept was repeated nine cycles later in Season 13.

Another inappropriate photoshoot saw the models pose as homeless people while in shot with people who really were living on the streets. 

Judge Jay described the concept to the models by telling them: 'We’re going to put a spotlight on a major issue, and that is homeless youth.

'You’re going to be posing with homeless partners, but here’s the deal. You girls will be in street clothing, and the other girls will be in high fashion.’

The shoot was inspired by Tyra's experience of posing as a homeless person for a day for her talk show.  

Season eight contestant Dionne Walters appeared on the show to hit out at the crime scene photoshoot, that required her to to pose as if she had been shot in the head, despite producers knowing that her own mother had been shot and left paralszed.

She shared: 'They knew about it from the application process, but they still chose to have me do this particular photo shoot that involved gun violence.

'I thought it was a coincidence at the time, but I don’t think that it was. I think they wanted to see some type of mental breakdown or to see me crumble. I’m just glad they didn’t get the reaction they were hoping for.'

Producer Ken then took 'full responsibility' for the shoot, saying it was a 'mistake to celebrate violence' in that way.

Of the bizarre photoshoots, Tyra said: 'We kept pushing more and more. You guys were demanding it! The viewers wanted more and more.

'‘Yeah, there’s some dumb s**t. I mean, dumb. I’m like, “What the hell.”'

Sexual assault 'cover up' 

Arguably the most memorable storyline from ANTM season two revolved around Shandi Sullivan 'cheating' on her boyfriend with an Italian model. 

The cameras rolled as Shandi slept with the model before tearfully calling her boyfriend - who later dumped her. 

Now, Shandi has claimed that what was framed as a drunken indiscretion was in fact sexual assault, revealing she 'blacked out' before the act but 'no one did anything to stop it.'

Speaking on the Netflix show, she shared: 'I remember being in the shower. And then just sitting in the shower. And then we were in the bed. 

'I was blacked out for a lot of it. I didn’t even feel sex happening, I just knew it was happening, and then I passed out.

'I think after getting out of the hot tub, and whatever happened after that, I think they should’ve been like, "All right, this has gone too far. We gotta pull her out of this."'

On the decision to keep filming, executive producer Ken said: 'We treated Top Model as a documentary. 

'We told the girls that on day one, when they would show up, "There’s going to be cameras with you 24/7, day in and day out, and they’re going to cover everything."'

As for Tyra, she opted not to comment on the scandal, stating: 'it’s a little difficult for me to talk about production because that’s not my territory.'

'Racist' remarks  

Season one's Ebony Haith has spoken out about her treatment as a black woman on the show, where she was referred to as 'harsh, aggressive, and angry.'

She revealed the mistreatment started from the very beginning when she underwent a makeover for the show, recalling: 'I’m sitting there, and I have three of the top stylists over my head, laughing at my hair texture. 

'It was really just frustrating. People did not have the correct clippers. Everyone basically said they didn’t know what to do.

'They ended up giving me three bald spots. Very disappointing.' 

Ebony revealed she got a call from Tyra later in the day: 'I’m thinking that my sister is going to understand. 

'I thought she was going to say, "Girl, don’t worry, I’ll go to Harlem." And she says, "The judges have been talking to me, and they’ve been saying you’ve been showing up ashy every day." And I’m blown away.”

Ebony continued: 'I didn’t understand why they chose those specific words when this is a word that’s been used in history that’s made us feel less-than.'

A clip then showed Tyra telling Ebony: 'With your skin texture, being an African American woman, it should be like butter. At the retouching session, your photo was the hardest we had to do.'

Fat-shaming 

Season 1 contestant Giselle Samson has revealed that comments the judges made about her weight have stayed with her two decades on. 

In one scene, the judges were seen scrutisining one of her photographs, with one judge remarking: 'She’s got a wide a**,' to which another judge agreed: 'It’s kind of wide.' 

Giselle was just 18 at the time and revealed: 'How I left feeling about myself in that moment has stayed with me forever. Why does my a** have to be so wide? That’s how I talk to myself to this day.' 

Season four's Keenyah recalled being harassed after male models were brought in for a photoshoot in Africa, claiming model Bertini was 'aggressively hitting on' her