Tyra Banks Under Fire For Declining To Comment On ‘Top Model’ Sexual Assault Incident

Netflix’s new "America’s Next Top Model" docuseries is pulling back the curtain on some of the franchise’s most controversial moments, and the revelations are raising serious questions about what really happened behind the scenes. One of the most disturbing accounts comes from former contestant Shandi Sullivan, who alleges she was sexually assaulted during filming while cameras were rolling. As the documentary revisits the incident in detail, show creator and host Tyra Banks has declined to discuss the situation further, sparking renewed conversation among fans.

During the three-part special, released Monday, February 16, Sullivan revisited the events surrounding a group trip to Italy during season 2 in 2004. “When we first got there, they said, you’re gonna go to a bunch of go-sees,” she said of the episode. “That was all day long. It took all day long. And then we went back to our little house that we were staying at.”

After a long day, locals who had driven the contestants around joined them for dinner. Sullivan, now 43, said she had not eaten that day and ended up drinking heavily before the situation escalated. “I remember him on top of me. I was blacked out. No one did anything to stop it,” she claimed. “And it all got filmed, all of it.”

Following the release of the Netflix docuseries and the resurfacing of past controversies, viewers quickly took to social media to share their reactions, with many focusing on Tyra Banks’ role in the franchise.

Some users expressed frustration over what they perceived as a lack of accountability. One X user wrote, “I don’t like how Tyra Banks is not actually taking any accountability for anything that happened on 'America’s Next Top Model.'”

"Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model" gives Sullivan space to share her account without editing constraints, offering a more detailed version of events than what aired on television at the time. The documentary also includes commentary from creative director Jay Manuel and executive producer Ken Mok, providing insight into what was happening behind the scenes during filming.

More critical reactions also surfaced, with one post reading, “Just a reminder, Tyra Banks is a dirty b-tch and we don’t hate her enough.”

Meanwhile, others reflected on the show’s cultural impact and how perceptions have shifted over time. “Watching this documentary about 'America's Next Top Model' & how Tyra Banks treated the models is actually insane. This sh-t was my childhood."

"Sad sh-t, man,” another viewer wrote while someone else bluntly suggested, "They needed to sit Tyra Banks and Ken Mok down in front of Miss J, Mr. Jay, Nigel, and a couple of the models who showed up and just allow them to rip Tyra and Ken apart."

The docuseries arrives as another former contestant, Whitney Thompson, is also opening up about her experience inside the "Top Model" house.

As the first plus-size winner of the show, Thompson made history when she won Cycle 10 in 2008, but she says the experience was far from glamorous. With cameras constantly rolling, she said privacy was nearly nonexistent except for one place.

"I just pretended like it didn’t bother me, but, and I’m sure most of the girls would do this, I would cry in the shower every day," she admitted. "Because the shower is the only place that the cameramen couldn’t come, so that was your safe place to release and be like, “Why are they doing this to me?”’

Despite the emotional strain, Thompson said she tried not to react in ways producers might have wanted. "I knew that they were trying to poke me and get something out of me, so I just played it cool, like, 'That's fine. We'll just duct tape my dress. No worries."’

Her comments add to a growing list of former contestants who are now reflecting on the psychological pressures of reality television production years after the show aired.

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, help is available. Contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).