While Tyra Banks‘ appearance on Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model has been met with much discourse, the directors would have gone forward with or without her.
Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, who co-directed the Netflix docuseries, recently explained that they were making the show about the behind-the-scenes controversies of the modeling competition reality show “regardless” of Banks’ participation.
“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 told TheWrap. “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.”
Sivan noted that the only topic Banks wasn’t open to talking about was that status of her friendship with judge Jay Manuel. “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,’” he said.
According to TheWrap, Banks had no editorial control over the docuseries and was not privy to the final cut until it debuted Monday on Netflix.
Now available to stream, Reality Check: Inside ANTM unpacks some of the UPN/CW/VH1 reality show’s controversies, including Shandi Sullivan’s onscreen sexual assault, multiple instances of blackface and Banks’ infamous “we were all rooting for you” outburst at Tiffany Richardson.
While ANTM’s past models and judges have been commended for opening up on the Netflix docuseries, many online feel that Banks did not fully take responsibility for her past actions and behavior.
“Was the #RealityCheck ANTM documentary meant to help Tyra Banks clear her name? Cause idk if it did,” wrote one viewer on X.
“Tyra Banks should’ve passed on this documentary,” another posted on Threads. “She can barely even PRETEND to give two ounces of a f*ck. My God.”
One viewer posted a still of Tyra’s confessional, writing, “If I send you this, just know I’m not apologizing for sh*t.”