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While Tyra Banks chose to apologize for the insensitive moments she now says were displayed on her hit reality competition series America’s Next Top Model following backlash, former cast members Miss J. Alexander, famed runway coach, and Jay Manuel, the show’s former creative director, opted to clear the air. While both men were accused of standing by and allowing a lot of unhealthy and even dangerous things to play out for reality TV, they made it clear in a recent Instagram Live Chat that it wasn’t like that. A lot of the conversation was spent trying to explain multiple sides, covering for themselves while simultaneously not trying to betray Tyra, but at the same time, making it clear who did and didn’t have a say in the show.
“I think everyone’s throwing Tyra under the bus unfairly,” Jay said. “Tyra was trying to give the girls what it was going to be like in the industry. And y’all keep saying that the show was like that 15 years ago, but what you guys forget is the fashion industry, yes it has taken small little steps forward, but it’s the same industry.”
“People are throwing her under the bus, but I think at the same time I can’t defend her. I can’t get in her head about what she meant…a lot of controversial things happened,” he added. “I’m just going to stipulate this. Everyone keeps asking, well who allowed that? And the Js stood by and this and this and that. Let’s be real, Miss Tyra as she always said in the press, it was her show. She was the host. Anything that happened on that show is sanctioned by or was creative that Tyra put forward.”
Both men said that after a while, it was about putting on a show more than anything, with their input taking a backseat to catering to sponsors, producer Ken Mock, the CW network and individuals who knew nothing about fashion.
“When people come to me and say, ‘Well you stood there for a lot of this creative,’ no, I was hired to do a job and I had bosses who told me, this is the creative you have to create around,” Jay said.
“Tyra also had bosses by the way,” Miss J added. “Network. So you don’t know what the network is feeding for their ratings.”
Though their input wasn’t often appreciated, both Miss J and Jay were brought in to orchestrate the challenges, teach the runway walks and go with the flow, even if they had reservations or issues they tried to speak up about.
“I was usually a little upset with the makeovers,” Miss J said. “I thought, mmm, that makeover is just maybe not right for that girl.”
“I’m going to speak up for Miss J… I know some of you tried to come at him with #GapGate, but let me just tell you, J always spoke his mind when he was sitting there with Tyra,” Jay added. “I know J spoke up. But what you guys don’t understand is the power of the edit! The edit is so powerful and Miss J would often speak up and I would say, ‘Do you!’ And then when you guys would see the episode, cut.”
Because of that, a lot of controversial moments went forward. One particular challenge that received a lot of backlash at the time and after being brought back up recently, was the changing races, blackface challenge. Both men didn’t understand what that was all about.
“When I first saw that on the grid, you know, my parents are from South Africa, they lived through apartheid. The first time I went to South Africa at age 7 it was during apartheid. I grew up very aware of racial inequality. So I was like, this makes me uncomfortable,” Jay said. “But I’m the creative director and I’m the one on camera having to deliver this creative. I remember that morning…I was so stressed out. But I just remember this being very uncomfortable for me, but what could I do?”
“They thought they were being creative for television and pushing boundaries,” Miss J added. “Remember, once again, Tyra was about pushing boundaries. Not buttons, boundaries.”
All of this created what they agreed was a “toxic production culture.” Miss J didn’t get along with production and often kept to himself or only around Jay. And moments that maybe should have been cut, like Tyra screaming at axed contestant Tiffany from Cycle 4, were kept.
To this day, Jay said he didn’t get Tyra’s issue with the way Tiffany handled getting cut, which wasn’t a very emotional reaction.
“I don’t think there was anything wrong with that. That was her honest reaction,” he said. “I cannot speak for Tyra, I don’t think either of us can, but I think Tyra actually, this is just my opinion, I think in that moment Tyra kind of put herself in Tiffany’s place and didn’t want her to feel that defeat. Therefore Tyra got upset. That’s what I think welled up the rage. I never heard Tyra yell like that.”
Jay claimed the moment, which he was present for, went on for a lot longer than viewers got to see, corroborating Tiffany’s story and confirming that the “other lines” she said Tyra said to her, which were very harsh, “were said in the room.”
“She was so upset that when they yelled cut, Ken Mock came in, took her by the waist, her security came, she walked out, mic pack, dress, heels, she was walked alone, out of the building, put into a car and driven away. No one spoke to Tyra,” Jay said. “It was so crazy. But I know Tyra just wanted more for Tiffany. That I do know. It was terrifying.”
“Let me put it this way. Have you all had friends you thought you really really knew and then they go off in a way that you never experienced? I knew Tyra since ’99, and I thought I knew her. I never saw that side of her,” he added.
“I did a pearl clutch when I saw it on TV, and then I gagged,” Miss J offered. “I think that was almost a slap in the face to production and to Tyra. All that we’re trying to do for you here and you’re looking at it like it’s no big deal, you throw shade and didn’t pay it no mind, I think that may have led Tyra to snap.”
The guys also addressed other controversial moments from the series, if you have about an hour to listen to them go down memory lane and offer some explanations. Check out what they had to say below:
