Adrianne Curry Blames Viewers More Than Tyra Banks for Toxicity Surrounding America's Next Top Model

Published: June 4, 2025

Adrianne Curry, the first winner of America's Next Top Model, has opened up about her experience on the show, and she's not holding back. In a recent interview, Curry said that while others expect her to be mad at Tyra Banks, the model taught her the "truth" of the entertainment industry.

However, Curry doesn't think Banks is the only one to blame for the toxicity surrounding the show. She believes that the viewers at home also played a significant role in its success, and therefore, they too should take some responsibility. "It was funny because everyone's like, 'Oh, she did this, she did that.' But then I would look at the people who watch the show, and I'm like, 'Yeah, but you watched it. You made it popular. It's your fault too,'" Curry said.

Curry, now 42, won the title of America's Next Top Model in 2003, but she didn't win any cash prizes. Instead, she got a contract with Wilhelmina models, which she claimed was later revoked due to the show switching to IMG for season 2.

When asked if she felt tempted to speak out against Banks during the "reality reckoning" in 2020, Curry said she didn't take part because she believes Banks taught her the truth of entertainment. "It's cutthroat. You can't trust everybody and everyone is lying to you. So she actually gave me a great lesson, and the show was just an avenue for her to propel herself into something else after she aged out at modeling."

Curry also reflected on how modeling has changed since she first got into the industry over 20 years ago. She said that modeling is now more "influencers" and more "personality-driven," and her personality wouldn't be a problem today.

Tyra Banks addressed the backlash to America's Next Top Model at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards, saying that she fought hard to bring diversity to the show at a time when it didn't exist.

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