Tyra Banks Admits 'America's Next Top Model' Went 'Too Far' in Netflix Docuseries Trailer

Tyra Banks, the supermodel and creator of America's Next Top Model, has publicly admitted in a new Netflix docuseries trailer that the long-running reality competition "went too far."

The trailer for Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, released on January 26, 2026, previews a three-part series exploring the "chaos in front and behind the camera" of the show, which aired from 2003 to 2018 across 24 cycles. Netflix describes the docuseries as unpacking the inner workings of a "pop-culture juggernaut" that drew a global audience of over 100 million at its peak.

In the trailer, Banks states, "I knew I went too far," following clips of infamous moments such as her emotional outburst "We were all rooting for you!" directed at a contestant. She adds, "It was very, very intense. But you guys were demanding it. And so we kept pushing more, and more, and more." Banks explains her initial intent was to "fight against" the fashion industry's norms, though the production escalated into controversy.

Former judge Jay Manuel reflects in the trailer, "I realized Tyra would do anything for the success of her show," while describing efforts to reveal the "behind-the-scenes of what the fashion world was." The preview highlights contentious elements like body-shaming comments such as "You're not thin enough," medical procedures in makeovers, and a photo shoot requiring models to "switch ethnicities" with makeup. Cycle 6 winner Dani Evans notes, "It’s a TV show to you guys, but this is my life."

The docuseries includes interviews with key figures like judges Nigel Barker, J. Alexander, and Miss J. Alexander, as well as contestants including Whitney Thompson, Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, and Keenyah Hill. Directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan, it promises "unprecedented access" to unpack the show's legacy.

For LGBTQ+ communities, America's Next Top Model holds particular relevance through figures like J. Alexander, a prominent transgender runway coach and judge known for person-first affirming presence on screen, and Miss J. Alexander, whose visibility challenged fashion norms during the show's run. Their participation in the docuseries offers potential insights into how the production navigated diversity amid controversies over body image and representation. Banks previously addressed past criticism in 2020, agreeing with viewers on "insensitivity" in moments like pressuring contestant Danielle Evans for dental surgery to close her tooth gap. In February 2025, at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, she reflected, "Did we get it right? Hell no. I said some dumb s***," while defending her efforts to introduce diversity when it was scarce in fashion TV.

The show aimed to launch modeling careers but drew backlash for bullying and harmful stereotypes, resurfacing in 2020 social media discussions. Banks hosted all cycles except season 23 in 2016, when Rita Ora stepped in. The trailer teases Banks saying, "I haven’t really said much, but now it’s time," signaling deeper revelations ahead of the February 16 premiere.