Was the Behind-the-Scenes Drama Really That Bad on ‘America’s Next…

For years, America’s Next Top Model has existed in a strange cultural space. It’s beloved, endlessly quotable, and foundational to reality TV as we know it. Yet it’s increasingly uncomfortable to revisit.

A new Netflix documentary is asking the question fans and former contestants have been circling for a while: Was the behind-the-scenes experience really as bad as it looked?

The documentary, titled Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, revisits the legacy of the competition series that dominated the early 2000s. Once framed as an empowering pipeline into the fashion industry, the show has since come under scrutiny as resurfaced clips went viral, prompting renewed conversations about body shaming, exploitation, and the emotional toll placed on its contestants.

Several key figures from the original series appear in the documentary, including host and creator Tyra Banks, creative director Jay Manuel, runway coach J. Alexander (aka Miss J), and photographer Nigel Barker.

Former contestants Whitney Thompson, Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, and Keenyah Hill also share their experiences in front of the camera.

“I haven’t really said much,” Banks says in the intro to the trailer. “But now it’s time."

“I wanted to fight against the fashion industry,” she said right before they showed all the ways she didn’t.

Former contestants recount the intense scrutiny placed on their bodies, the psychological pressure baked into eliminations, and the extreme nature of some of the show’s challenges and makeovers.

“Going to get a medical procedure as part of a makeover?” one person says.

“Look at my teeth,” another says.

“It’s a TV show to you guys, but this is my life,” another former contestant points out.

While ANTM was once praised for offering visibility and opportunity, particularly to models of color, the show’s reputation has shifted dramatically in recent years. Much of the criticism has centered on Banks herself, with viewers accusing her of fostering a hostile environment and reinforcing the very industry standards the show claimed to challenge.

“Tyra hated these women and you cannot convince me otherwise,” one person commented on a clip of Banks dramatically sending a contestant home during the show’s infamous elimination ceremonies.

“These judges were so toxic :(“ another TikTok user pointed out in a compilation revisiting Jaslene Gonzalez’s journey on the show. Gonzalez was initially rejected before later returning and winning her cycle.

“She’s so good and all they did was trynna mock her I swear that show was a humiliation ritual,” another user wrote.

“They hate when you know who you are! 🙂↔️🔥 Jaslene so fye! 🔥👑❤️,” model Alton Mason commented on that video.

The doc hits Netflix on Feb. 16.

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