February 19, 2026
Tyra Banks Apologizes To Former ‘ANTM’ Contestant Who Was Sexually Harassed, ‘She Deserved More’
Tyra Banks has apologized to former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Keenyah Hill for her handling of a photoshoot that involved allegations of sexual harassment.
Tyra Banks did issue one apology in Netflix’s “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” documentary to a former contestant who complained on camera about the sexual harassment she endured during a photoshoot.
The coveted supermodel is facing renewed criticism following the release of the three-part Netflix docuseries, which revisits the complicated legacy of the hit modeling competition. Among the controversies highlighted is a Cycle 4 photoshoot in South Africa, where contestant Keenyah Hill said model Bertini Heumegni “aggressively” flirted with her during filming, a concern she later raised during judging, describing feeling uncomfortable.
At the judging panel, Banks advises Hill on how to handle the situation, suggesting she use her “feminine wiles” to ask Heumegni to step back “in a fun way” during the shoot, as captured by Entertainment Weekly. Now, looking back at the moment in the Netflix doc, Banks recalled the moment and admitted fault, saying the then-19-year-old contestant “deserved more” support from her and the rest of the team.
“I was trying to empower her with the information that I had,” Banks said. “I felt like that was empowering her based on the information I had. And I thought that was the best advice, but it should have been, ‘Stop,’ down. And that’s what would happen today.”
She continued. “We all now understand the protections that women need. So I say to Keenyah, boo boo, I am so sorry. None of us knew. Network executives didn’t know, and I did the best that I could at that time. But she deserved more. She did.”
Nigel Barker, the photographer and former male model who served as a judge, reflected on his initial critique, saying it was shaped by what he saw as the realities of the fashion industry at the time.
“Some of those things are also kind of a reality of the world, unfortunately. In the fashion industry, there’s always been a lot of issues with, you know, sort of harassment,” Barker said in the doc. “In any shape or way, whether you’re a male or female model,” Barker says in the series. “And not everyone is going to handle the same situation in the same way, but you as an individual should be able to stand up for yourself and say, ‘Hey, no, this isn’t working,’ or figure it out and get the job done. There were people — cameras — everywhere!”
Reflecting on the incident now, Hill said she felt unsupported at the time and remains hurt by how the situation was handled.
“I didn’t get the response I thought I was going to get,” she said in the doc. “The looks on their faces were just like, How dare you stop our production!”
She added. “To be on a TV set in front of so many people and still not be protected is some pretty dark stuff.”
RELATED CONTENT: The Iconic Miss J Alexander Details Grueling Stroke Recovery In Netflix Doc