Tyra Banks – “Below Deck” Chef Rachel Hargrove Lashes Out At Model For Calling Her ‘Plus Size’ When She Auditioned For “America’s Next Top Model”

Tyra Banks – “Below Deck” Chef Rachel Hargrove Lashes Out At Model For Calling Her ‘Plus Size’ When She Auditioned For “America’s Next Top Model”

“Below Deck” chef Rachel Hargrove shades Tyra Banks for referring to her as a “plus size model” when she auditioned for “America’s Next Top Model” back in 2005.

In a since-deleted post, Rachel Hargrove, 40, took to Twitter and commented on an unflattering photo of Tyra Banks, 48. Rachel wrote:

“Hey @Tyrabanks remember when you called me a plus size model when I was a size 2?”

Amid receiving backlash for her comments against Banks, Hargrove seemingly defends herself and responded:

“I’ve had a lot of former cast reach out to me and tell me about how the show caused them to have body dysmorphic disorders… so that’s why I made my comment,”

adding that Tyra Banks needs to “take accountability” for her behavior on the competition show.

A social media user quickly pointed out that Tyra Banks did not make the offensive comment about Hargrove’s body but instead was Banks’ “ANTM” co-judge Jay Manuel. On the Season 4 episode, Manuel said,

“You’d be representing more of a plus size.”

Tyra Banks, Jay Manuel

In a 2021 interview, Rachel Hargrove seemed gleeful when reminiscing about her time on the show. She appeared on the fourth season of “ANTM” after a casting director approached her while she was working as a bartender in Florida in 2005. She explained,

“I thought, ‘Are you f*king high?’ They just kind of brought me through; I think it had to do with my personality being just off the wall, so… I don’t know! It was a lot of fun, it was a lot of fun.”

During her interview, she referred to Tyra Banks as

“Interesting… The whole experience kinda gave me an idea of what reality TV might become.”

Tyra Banks

Rachel Hargrove

This isn’t the first time Tyra Banks has received criticism for some of the remarks made on “ANTM.” During the pandemic, some former ANTM fans started re-watching the series and quickly pointed out problematic comments made during the series and how the show was the culprit behind a lot of the casts’ body dysmorphia and depression issues.

The criticism on social media got so bad that even Trya spoke out to address the controversy. In a since deleted post, Tyra Banks tweeted in 2020:

“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.”