NEWS'We Didn't Know What to Expect': Tyra Banks Got 'Very Emotional' During 'America's Next Top Model' Documentary, Co-Director Reveals
ANTM doc co-director said Tyra Banks was 'very emotional' reflecting on the hit series and its most debated moments.
Feb. 16 2026, Published 11:58 a.m. ET
A new Netflix documentary is shining a harsh spotlight on the complicated legacy of America's Next Top Model, revisiting the hit reality show's most controversial moments and the culture behind the scenes.
Titled Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, the film examines how the series has shaped fashion and reality TV, while also drawing criticism for its treatment of contestants.
Tyra Banks Had 'No Creative Control'
Tyra Banks got emotional revisiting ANTM’s legacy.
Though Tyra Banks appears onscreen, the project was done without her input, according to the filmmakers.
"There was no creative control. Tyra is going to see the [documentary] exactly like all the 270 million households [that subscribe to Netflix]," director Daniel Sivan told Page Six.
'Very Emotional'
The supermodel spoke out years after the show ended.
Banks, 52, participates in interviews for the documentary — marking the first time she has publicly reflected on the show since it ended in 2018.
Co-director Mor Loushy said it took "several months" of conversations before Banks agreed to sit down.
"Tyra decided that it's time for her to speak up," Loushy said, adding that the filmmakers were unsure how the interview would unfold. "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."
The documentary also features interviews with executive producer Ken Mok, former judges J. Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker, along with past contestants including Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, Whitney Thompson, Ebony Haith, and Giselle Samson.
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People Want To Tell Their Stories
Since the show's debut, the show has faced scrutiny over controversial challenges.
Since its 2003 debut, the show has faced renewed scrutiny over controversial challenges and critiques about contestants' bodies and appearances, as well as photoshoots that required models to portray different races or staged crime scenarios.
Sivan said the passage of time allowed participants to reflect more openly. "I think everybody came to tell their story," he said, noting those involved were in "a place where they accepted the good and the bad that they did."
He also rejected the idea that anyone participated in repairing their image or to do "damage control."
"People were here to say, 'Hey, this is me, and this is what made me do these things,'" Sivan said.
'We Want People to Be Angry'
Former judges and contestants shared their stories.
The filmmakers ultimately hope the documentary fuels discussion among viewers about reality TV ethics and industry standards.
"We want people to be angry and also to love this [doc] and we want them to debate it with each other," Sivan said. "We want people to keep the discussion going … about body images today, about sexual harassment, about boundaries, about when do you need to put down the camera and scream, 'cut!'"
