‘America’s Next Top Model’ Competitor India Gants Says Tyra Banks Threaten To Take Winning Title Away If She Spoke On Series Before It Aired

India Gants, Tyra Banks

‘America’s Next Top Model’ Competitor India Gants Says Tyra Banks Threaten To Take Winning Title Away If She Spoke On Series Before It Aired

Are you good at keeping secrets?

Fashion model India Gants participated in the 23rd season of Tyra Banks’ reality model competition series “America’s Next Top Model” in 2017. Recently, the 27-year-old has been answering questions from fans on TikTok about her time on the show, how she was treated, and her thoughts now when she looks back on everything. For those who may be unaware, India Gants was crowned as the winner of her season, reportedly walking away with a VH1 talent contract, a fashion spread in Paper magazine, and a $100,000 contract with Rimmel London cosmetics.

India Gants

However, according to India Gants, in order to keep her prizes, she was told by Tyra Banks not to speak on the outcome of the show with anybody. Gants claimed,

“Tyra Banks told me that if I told anybody that I had won America’s Next Top Model before it actually aired on TV that they would fly me back, reshoot the finale, and have the other girl [Tatiana Price] win.”

She continued,

“It is a really big deal if you leak the secret of America’s Next Top Model and she was trying to make that very very clear to me. …I was told I could not tell my family, or my significant other, or my closest friends, nobody.” 

Gants did take the stern warning from Tyra Banks seriously, revealing that she only initially spilled the tea with her boyfriend at the time, to keep him looped in just in case she had to move, and her dad. Eventually, she filled her mom in, but the other important people in her life, siblings included, found out she won at the same time as the rest of the world.

@indiagants

Replying to @Dacia B

? original sound – India Gants

As previously reported, the once beloved “ANTM” series has faced scrutiny over the past few years as the public continues to look at the series through new eyes. Critics have questioned how some of the show’s segments, such as the infamous race swap episode of season four, were even allowed to air. That, on top of former contestants calling out Tyra Banks for the way they were allegedly treated, has definitely changed the narrative surrounding the show.

In another TikTok video, Gants touched on the series’ mixed reactions and explained that her experience wasn’t too bad but she understands the backlash. She shared,

“I think modeling as a whole is emotional abuse. Then you take modeling, plus competition, plus reality television, and it is just a recipe for disaster. Now, I didn’t experience that much negativity on my side of things…but the production of reality television is the crazy part. Like, you are kind of treated like trash if you are the cast on a reality TV show.”

She added,

“But I don’t think America’s Next Top Model is that different than any other reality TV show. …And we signed up to do it. The potential opportunity to win the show or even just get exposure is worth whatever the heck we went through during filming.”

@indiagants

Replying to @jackbalto I need one of thise sleek sticks for my flyaways ?

? original sound – India Gants

Are you shocked by what India Gants shared? Would you like to see “America’s Next Top Model” return? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!