Tyra Banks Just Responded To Negative Criticism Over Problematic Moments In "America's Next Top Model"

    "I went on my talkshow and did an entire segment — what we did wrong — and we apologised for it. But not everybody saw that."

    Ben Henry
    by Ben Henry

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Tyra Banks has responded to criticism over problematic moments from America's Next Top Model after being presented with clips from the show in a recent interview.

    Amy Sussman / Getty Images

    Over the last few weeks, Tyra has faced immense backlash over past clips that resurfaced online, including multiple scenes that involved blackface.

    Michaela Pratt @kay_scott324

    Wait wait wait. We must talk about this as well. Tyra was out here normalizing Blackface. How is this woman not cancelled 😂😂 #ANTM

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    Another clip that was widely criticised saw Tyra ridicule a contestant for not choosing to close the gap in her teeth after a trip to the dentist that had been organised by the show.

    VH1

    "You went to the dentist but refused to have your gap closed," Tyra said in the 2006 episode. "Do you really think you can have a CoverGirl contract with a gap in your mouth."

    When the model, Dani, responded and said she didn't see the problem, Tyra added: "It's not marketable."

    Earlier this month, with the backlash hard to ignore, Tyra chimed in on the drama and said that she agreed with the criticism, calling the resurfaced clips "really off choices".

    Tyra Banks @tyrabanks

    Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you. Looking back, those were some really off choices. Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs. ❤️

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    However, some thought that the tweet didn't count as a "sincere" or "fully-fledged" apology and urged Tyra to take accountability for her part in the decisions.

    Now, in a video interview with Entertainment Tonight, Tyra was asked for her opinion on the clips and how she felt watching them back now.

    ET

    After seeing a challenge that included blackface, Tyra revealed that she had in fact addressed the issue at the time on her talkshow but that not everybody had seen it.

    ET

    "I apologised for it, 'cause we put it out and even me just watching it after, I was like, 'Ooh, this ain't right,'" she said.

    She later added: "I went on my talkshow and did an entire segment — what we did wrong — and we apologised for it. But not everybody saw that."

    Speaking on her show at the time, Tyra said she apologised for "any offence" that may have been caused by the challenge.

    Explaining her decision to apologise at the time, Tyra said that she didn't want to give other people a chance to use blackface in a "negative" way.

    When asked about the teeth-gap incident, Tyra admitted that she "cringes" watching it back now but, again, said that she'd already apologised, this time in her 2018 book, Perfect Is Boring.

    Tyra also went on to say that her "mission" to make sure models from the show got booked for jobs sometimes clouded her judgement and that she'd had to remind herself of what was actually important.

    Rich Fury / Getty Images

    "I also have this mission to get the models as much work as possible," she said. "At times, this desire to make sure that my girls got work made me forget my mission of why I get up every single day, which is more important than any damn magazine cover."

    You can watch Tyra's full interview with Entertainment Tonight here.