Tyra Banks Under Fire After ‘ANTM’ Clip Resurfaces Of Her Telling Model To Close Her Gap: Do You Really Think You Can Be A Cover Girl With A Gap?

Tyra Banks Under Fire After ‘ANTM’ Clip Resurfaces Of Her Telling Model To Close Her Gap: Do You Really Think You Can Be A Cover Girl With A Gap?

Veteran model/creator of hit model competition show, America’s Next Top Model – Tyra Banks – is in hot water with fans after a clip of a 2006 episode resurfaced on social media. In the clip, Tyra Banks can be seen taunting Cycle 6 contestant and future winner, Danielle Evans, about the gap between her teeth. Danielle Evans was instructed to have it closed by a dentist, but she refused the service. Tyra Banks and fellow judge, Jay Alexander, then reprimanded her for the decision.

“Tyra Banks: So Danielle, you went to the dentist but you refused to have your gap closed. Do you really think you can have a Cover Girl contract with a gap in your mouth?

Danielle Evans: Yes. Why not?

Tyra: [covering teeth with her finger] This is all people see. ‘It’s easy, breezy, beautiful Cover Girl.’ It’s not marketable.”

Whilst there’s been a lot of talk about Tyra’s tyranny on ANTM in recent years, there was absolutely a specific type of regulation, silencing and policing that was directed towards Black women on the show, and dark skinned Black women in particular. https://t.co/oXvM6FYAvW

— jade bentil (@divanificent) May 5, 2020

“Danielle: Just a little bit is okay, but I don’t wanna completely close it.

Jay Alexander: Well, I guess she just left the gap wide open for another girl, baby.

Tyra: I agree.”

Yikes! Social media users commented in droves, alleging that Tyra was consistently anti-Black in her critiques on Black contestants. @divanificent commented:

“Whilst there’s been a lot of talk about Tyra’s tyranny on ANTM in recent years, there was absolutely a specific type of regulation, silencing and policing that was directed towards Black women on the show, and dark skinned Black women in particular.”

Another even added that Tyra Banks wanted a white model’s gap to be made even bigger, deeming the look “interesting.”

E! host Nina Parker said the clip made her self-conscious about her gapped teeth as a child watching America’s Next Top Model.

What do you think of the vintage Tyra Banks clip? Was she insensitive or flexing her expertise? Let us know in the comments.

Written by Miata Shanay