NEWS'America's Next Top Model' Star Curses Out 'Bully' Tyra Banks, Claims Show 'Edited' Their Viral 'We Were All Rooting for You' Moment
Tiffany Richardson and Tyra Banks' viral moment went down during a 2005 episode.
Feb. 17 2026, Published 11:12 a.m. ET
America's Next Top Model alum Tiffany Richardson lashed out at host Tyra Banks after the latter apologized over their viral moment on the show in Netflix's new docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.
In the ANTM episode, Banks passionately yelled at Richardson, "We were all rooting for you!" — something the mom-of-one admitted she went "too far" over.
Tiffany Richardson Calls Tyra Banks a 'Bully'
'ANTM' alum Tiffany Richardson claimed 'bully' Tyra Banks 'treated me like s---.'
Despite her apology, Richardson shamed Banks on Instagram, writing, "Hold up @tyrabanks let’s keep it cute. you are 1 lying a-- tied a-- b----."
"You know how you treated me the whole time off and on camera, YOU WAS A BULLY!!!" she declared. "You treated me like s--- and said the nastiest things about me and my son. That is not how the argument went but YALL EDITED TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU CARED…"
Tiffany Richardson accused the show of 'editing' footage to make 'it look like' Tyra Banks 'cared' about her.
"Also F--- @theshaderoom F--- YO WERID A-- FANS AND F--- YOU @tyrabanks I BET YOU WONT SIT DOWN WITH ME FACE TO FACE AND TALK ABOUT IT!!! Also F--- MY FAMILY TOO 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄 yall don’t ever defend me, I got more money and helping more people than all or many of the top models but that’s the update yall give 🙄 d--- shame.. it’s giving yall still hating on lil black a-- me," she continued. "@tyrabanks h-- just let it go, ITS BEEN OVER 20 years 😭."
What Did Tyra Banks Say About the Incident?
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Tyra Banks admitted she 'went too far' with Tiffany Richardson.
In the docuseries, the Life-Size actress admitted she "went too far" with Richardson, acknowledging she "lost it" on her during the heated moment.
"It was probably bigger than her. It was family, friends, society, Black girls, all the challenges that we have. So many people saying that we’re not good enough. I think all that was in that moment," Banks explained. "That’s some Black girl stuff that goes real deep inside of me, but I knew I went too far."
More Things Were Said Off Camera
Jay Manuel admitted other things were said once the cameras stopped rolling.
The show's creative director Jay Manuel called the situation "the most difficult moment on set I had ever experienced."
Manuel hinted that the editing claims were true, spilling, "There was a lot more that was really said. And some of the things that were said, were really not well-intentioned. I’ll probably never repeat the lines that were said in that room, that day."
The docuseries' co-director Mor Loushy said filming the project was 'very emotional.'
The docuseries co-director Mor Loushy noted in a separate interview that it took "several months" for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit alum to agree to sit down for the project.
"Tyra decided that it's time for her to speak up," he shared. "We didn't know what to expect. We came, and she was very emotional. She wanted to tell her side of the story, like the contestants are telling their side of the story."
