Disqualified America’s Next Top Model contestant Angelea Preston is suing host and producer Tyra Banks for $3 million over the prize she says she didn’t receive for winning cycle 17. According to Preston, she was dumped from the competition when the show found out she’d once worked as an escort. The CW Network is also named in the suit.
Preston actually competed on the show three times. Preston first appeared on the show during cycle 12 and lost. Then she came close during cycle 14, but was once again eliminated. She struck gold when cycle 17, when all the contestants were “all-stars.” She was among the final three and appeared to be a strong contender. But when the competition got to the final episode, viewers were told that there had been some sort of snafu and only the final two, Lisa D’Amato and Allison Harvard, would be considered. D’Amato won.
At the time, many speculated that Preston had blabbed about her win on social media before the show aired. Angry that the surprise had been let out of the bag, rumor was the show’s producers decided to go another way. The prize had a value of $100,000.
“…The assumption is correct. I did indeed win Cycle 17,” Preston told the site Sire Says. “Listen honey, I’m trying to write a book about my whole life and that part of my life is definitely, I mean my life is already interesting even before Top Model, I guess if you want to say, made me who I am or gave me my platform but, I guess that’s the part everybody wants to know. They want to know the real story.”
It’s a big leap from $100K to $3M, but I guess you have to start high so you can settle at a high number. And if we had to guess, we’re thinking this will get settled and for far less.
Here’s a video of Preston, in case you’ve forgotten who she is.
