Tyra Banks

Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973), also known as BanX,<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> is an American model, television personality, producer, writer, and actress. Born in Inglewood, California, she began her career as a model at the age of 15 and was the first African American woman to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, on which she appeared three times. Banks was one of only a few Black models to achieve Supermodel status. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 1997 to 2005. By the early 2000s, Banks was one of the world's top-earning models.

Banks began acting on television in the sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1993) and made her film debut in the drama Higher Learning (1995). In 2000, she had major film roles, such as Eve in Disney Channel's Life-Size and Zoe in the box-office hit Coyote Ugly. Banks had small roles in the romantic sports film Love & Basketball (2000), the horror film Halloween: Resurrection (2002), and in the television series Gossip Girl (2009) and Glee (2013).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2003, Banks created the long-running reality television series America's Next Top Model, which she executive produced and presented for the first twenty-two seasons, until the series' cancellation in October 2015. She remained executive producer for the revival of the series in 2016 and enlisted Rita Ora as host for the twenty-third cycle before reassuming the duties herself for the twenty-fourth cycle. Banks was the co-creator of True Beauty (2009–2010), and had her own television talk show, The Tyra Banks Show (2005–2010), which aired on The CW and won two Daytime Emmy awards for Outstanding Talk Show Informative. In 2015, she co-hosted the talk show FABLife for two months. In 2017 and 2018, Banks was the host of America's Got Talent for its 12th and 13th seasons.<ref name="TyraBanks">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2020, she was the host of Dancing with the Stars for its 29th season, also serving as an executive producer.

In 2010, Banks published a young adult novel titled Modelland, based on her life as a model, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list in 2011. She also has her own production company, Bankable Productions, which produced The Tyra Banks Show, America's Next Top Model, and the 2008 film The Clique. Banks is one of four African Americans and seven women to have repeatedly been ranked among the world's most influential people by Time magazine.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="ABOUT TYRA BANKS">Template:Cite web</ref> She is also one of only seventeen models to be ranked as a Legendary Supermodel by MODELS.com.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early life

Tyra Lynne Banks<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> was born in Inglewood, California on December 4, 1973.<ref name="biochannel" /> Her mother, Carolyn London (now London-Johnson), is a medical photographer,<ref name="biochannel">Template:Cite web</ref> and her father, Donald Banks, is a computer consultant.<ref name="bod">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She has a brother, Devin, who is five years older.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1979, when Banks was six years old, her parents divorced. She attended John Burroughs Middle School and graduated in 1991 from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Banks said that while growing up, she was teased for her appearance and considered an "ugly duckling";<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> when she was 11 years old, she grew three inches and lost 30 pounds in three months.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On America's Next Top Model, Banks discussed the results of an Ancestry.com genealogical DNA test saying that she is "79% African, 14% British, and 6% Native American."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an interview, she added that she is also "1% Finnish", saying: "I'm 14% British, 6% Native American, 1% Finnish, and all the rest African."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2012, Banks completed a nine-week course in Harvard University's Owner/President Management non-degree extension program.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Modeling career

File:Tyra Banks 2012 Shankbone.JPG

Banks in 2012

When Banks was 15 years old, she started modeling while attending Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. She was rejected by four modeling agencies before she was signed by L.A. Models. She switched to Elite Model Management at age 16. When she got the opportunity to model in Europe, she moved to Milan. In her first runway season, she booked 25 shows in the 1991 Paris Fashion Week. She appeared in editorials for American, Italian, French, and Spanish Vogue; American, French, German, and Spanish Elle; American, German, and Malaysian Harper's Bazaar; V; W, and Vanity Fair.

She appeared on the covers of magazines including Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Spanish Vogue, Cosmopolitan,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Seventeen.Template:Citation needed She walked in fashion shows for Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Anna Sui, Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs, Givenchy, Herve Leger, Valentino, Fendi, Isaac Mizrahi, Giorgio Armani, Sonia Rykiel, Michael Kors, and others. She appeared in advertising campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Escada, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Halston, H&M, XOXO, Swatch, Versace, Christian Lacroix, Victoria's Secret, Got Milk?, Pepsi, and Nike.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1993, Banks signed a contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, launching advertising campaigns for the cosmetics company. She was one of only a few Black models to achieve supermodel status. In the mid-1990s, Banks returned to the U.S. to do commercial modeling.

Banks was the first Black woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and the first African-American woman on the cover of GQ.<ref name="fmd">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1997, she received the VH1 award for "Supermodel of the Year".<ref name="ABOUT TYRA BANKS" /> Also in 1997, she was the first African American chosen for the cover of the Victoria's Secret catalog<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and became a Victoria's Secret Angel.<ref name="cbsvsfs05">CBS Specials: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2005 source:CBS.com. Retrieved July 20, 2012.</ref> In 2010, she re-signed with her former modeling agency IMG Models.<ref name="IMC">Template:Cite web</ref> Banks is a contributor of the Vogue Italia website.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2013, she transformed herself into looking like 15 supermodels, in collaboration with fashion photographer Udo Spreitzenbarth.

In 2019, Banks came out of modeling retirement posing for one of the three 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers; the other cover models being Camille Kostek and Alex Morgan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was her third cover for the publication, 22 years after her first.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She announced that she would go by the modeling name BanX, she no longer uses BanX.<ref name=":1" /> In 2024, she returned from runway retirement and walked for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show as the closing model.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Television and film career

File:Tyra Banks(Cannes).jpg

Banks at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival

Banks's television career began on the fourth season of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which she played lead character Will Smith's old friend Jackie Ames.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She made seven appearances in the series.<ref name="ABOUT TYRA BANKS"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Other TV credits include Felicity,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> All That, MADtv, Nick Cannon's Wild 'n Out (ishe was a special guest host and team captain)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and The Price Is Right (guest-starring as a "Barker's Beauty").<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She appeared as a guest in the animated talk show Space Ghost Coast to Coast in an episode entitled "Chinatown".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Banks began a production company, "Ty Ty Baby Productions"—soon changed to Bankable Productions—which produced The Tyra Banks Show, America's Next Top Model and the 2008 movie The Clique.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She is the executive producer and former presenter and judge of America's Next Top Model. In addition, she hosted The Tyra Banks Show, a daytime talk show aimed at younger women, which premiered on September 12, 2005 and ran until May 28, 2010.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2008, Banks won the Daytime Emmy Award for her work and production on The Tyra Banks Show,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and won for the second time in a row for outstanding, informative talkshow in 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Her first big screen role came in 1994, when she co-starred in the drama Higher Learning.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She then co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in the Disney film Life-Size, playing a doll named Eve who comes to life. Other films she has starred in include Love Stinks (1999), Love & Basketball (2000), Coyote Ugly (2000), Halloween: Resurrection (2002),<ref name="ABOUT TYRA BANKS"/> and Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009).<ref name="GuestCast">Template:Cite web</ref> Banks appeared in the fourth episode of the third season of Gossip Girl playing Ursula Nyquist, a larger-than-life actress.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She appeared on the Disney Channel show Shake It Up as a school librarian.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, Deadline Hollywood reported that Banks would co-create and produce an ABC comedy series based on her teenage years titled Fivehead.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2015, she starred in the roundtable lineup talk show FABLife alongside model Chrissy Teigen, fashion stylist Joe Zee, interior designer Lauren Makk, and YouTube personality Leah Ashley.<ref name="Variety">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Banks quit the series after less than three months to focus on her cosmetics company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, she returned to acting for her starring role in Life-Size 2, which premiered on Freeform on December 2.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> She will star and executive produce Beauty, a documentary series for Quibi.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018, she signed a deal with Universal Television.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In July 2020, it was announced that Banks would be the new host of Dancing with the Stars.<ref>Bahr, Sarah (July 15, 2020). "Tyra Banks Is Tapped as New 'Dancing With the Stars' Host." The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2020.</ref> In August 2020, she signed a deal with ABC Signature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2023, she decided to leave the show after three seasons and focus on business commitments.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Banks appearead in the 2025 reboot of the game show Hollywood Squares.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2025, it was revealed that Banks will star in a Netflix documentary about ANTM.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other ventures

File:Tyra Banks 1995.jpg

Banks at a book signing in Washington D.C., 1995

Cosmetics

In 2014, Banks founded the cosmetics brand Tyra Beauty, which she completed a non-degree certificate program at Harvard Business School specifically for.<ref name="beauty">Template:Cite web</ref> Tyra Beauty uses a multi-level marketing system to recruit sales distributors, who are called "beautytainers" by the company.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She held a casting call to find faces for her line, eventually selecting Melody Parra, Monique Hayward, Katy Harvey and Top Model Norge contestant Marita Gomsrud as the cosmetic line's original beauty models. In March 2011, Banks launched her fashion and beauty website called "typeF.com", which she co-created with Demand Media.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, she launched "tyra.com", an interactive cosmetic e-commerce site.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref>

Music

Banks has appeared in several music videos including Michael Jackson's "Black or White", Mobb Deep's "Trife Life", Tina Turner's "Love Thing", George Michael's "Too Funky" (with models Linda Evangelista, Estelle Lefébure, Emma Sjoberg, and Nadja Auermann), and Lionel Richie's "Don't Wanna Lose You". In 2004, she recorded her first single, "Shake Ya Body", with a music video featuring contestants from cycle 2 of America's Next Top Model. The video premiered on UPN.<ref name="bioarchive">Template:Cite web</ref> Banks released a single with NBA player Kobe Bryant, entitled "K.O.B.E.", which was performed on NBA TV.<ref name="ABOUT TYRA BANKS"/> She also had a single on the Life-Size (2000) soundtrack called "Be a Star".<ref name="ABOUT TYRA BANKS"/> She recorded a song with musician Todrick Hall for his 2021 album Femuline, entitled "Fashón".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Writing

In 1998, Banks co-authored a book entitled Tyra's Beauty, Inside and Out.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She announced in May 2010 that she would be writing a novel, Modelland,<ref>Nudd, Tim. Tyra Banks to Publish Her First Novel Template:Webarchive. People. May 11, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2011.</ref> loosely based on her own modelling experience.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was published in September 2011, intended to be the first of a planned three-part series;<ref>Krupnick, Ellie. Tyra Banks Talks 'Modelland', Harvard Business School (VIDEO). The Huffington Post. July 21, 2011. Retrieved July 23, 2011.</ref> Modelland topped The New York Times Best Seller list in October 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2018, Banks and her mother, Carolyn London, co-authored a book entitled "Perfect is Boring".<ref>PerfectIsBoring.com</ref>

Teaching

In August 2016, Banks was a personal branding guest lecturer at Stanford University.<ref>Template:Cite news Template:Subscription required</ref>

Smize & Dream

Banks founded Smize & Dream (SMiZe Cream), a boutique ice cream brand, in 2020.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite news</ref> The shop was inspired by Banks' childhood memories of having ice cream with her mother Carolyn on Friday nights.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> SMiZe first sold package ice cream in California.<ref name=":2" /> It has opened pop-up ice cream shops in Los Angeles, Dubai, Washington, D.C.,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Sydney.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Banks dated Norwegian photographer Erik Asla during the 2010s. She struggled with infertility; her and Asla's attempts to conceive through in vitro fertilisation were unsuccessful.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2016, their son York Banks Asla was born via gestational surrogacy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Banks said that she tends to avoid drinking and has never used recreational drugs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She has spoken out about abusive relationships in her past. In 2005, when asked about her relationship history, she said, "I won't be using a lot of names on the show, but a specific relationship had not just cheating but emotional abuse. It was really bad, but that made me strong."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 2009, she opened up about her past relationships when she made a guest appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, hosting alongside Oprah Winfrey. The episode was dedicated to dating violence in response to the assault of Rihanna by Chris Brown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In January 2025, Banks' home in Los Angeles was destroyed in the Palisades Fire. She and her boyfriend, Louis Bélanger-Martinwas, were in Australia at the time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Education

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Banks visiting patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., December 2003

In 2012, Banks completed Harvard Business School's Owner/President Management Program (OPM), a nine-week executive education course.<ref>Hughes, Sarah Ann (February 24, 2012). "Tyra Banks graduates from Harvard's executive education program". Celebritology (blog). Washington Post.</ref><ref>Sauers, Jenna, Template:Cite web </ref> After she mentioned that she was attending Harvard in an interview, many news publications published articles clarifying the difference between the OPM program and the widely-known Harvard MBA program.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2012, Harvard professor Rohit Deshpande was preparing a case study on Banks's company, Bankable Productions, for use in future coursework in the OPM program.<ref>Zhang, Brian C. (February 27, 2012). "Tyra Finishes HBS Program". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved July 30, 2013.</ref><ref>"Tyra Banks: Fun, Fierce, and Financially Savvy" Template:Webarchive. Features. The Harbus (harbus.org). February 15, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2013.</ref>

Philanthropy

Banks established the TZONE program, which emphasized leadership and life skills development.<ref name="TZ">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She established the Tyra Banks Scholarship, a fund aimed at providing African-American girls the opportunity to attend her alma mater, Immaculate Heart High School. In 2005, TZONE went from being a camp to a public charity, the Tyra Banks TZONE.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1994	Extra Terrorestrial Alien Encounter	Hostess	Short
1995	Higher Learning	Deja
1999	Love Stinks	Holly Garnett
	Template:Sortname	Herself	TV movie
2000	Love & Basketball	Kyra Kessler
	Life-Size	Eve	TV movie
	Coyote Ugly	Zoe
2002	Halloween: Resurrection	Nora Winston
	Eight Crazy Nights	Victoria's Secret Gown (voice)
2004	Larceny	Herself
2007	Mr. Woodcock
2008	Tropic Thunder
2009	Hannah Montana: The Movie		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018	Life-Size 2	Eve	TV movie

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1993	Eurotrash	Herself	Episode: "1.5"
	The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air	Jackie Ames	Recurring role
1993–1994	Soul Train	Herself/Guest Host	Episodes: "Episode #23.6" & "#24.3"
1995	Soul Train Lady of Soul Awards	Herself	Co-Host
1996	All That	Customer	Episode: "Tyra Banks/Blackstreet"
1997	Very Important Pennis	Herself	Episode: "Very Important Pennis: Part 3"
	New York Undercover	Natasha Claybourne	Recurring role
1998	Space Ghost Coast to Coast	Herself	Episode: "Chinatown"
1999	Soul Train Music Awards		Co-Host
	The Greatest		Episode: "100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll"
	The Teen Files		Episode: "The Truth About Drinking"
	Just Shoot Me!		Episodes: "Nina Sees Red: Parts 1 & 2"
	Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child	Barbie Q. Pepper (voice)	Episode: "The Three Little Pigs"
	The Hughleys	Nicole	Episode: "Sap and the Star"
2000	Academy Awards	Herself	Host
	Who Wants to Be a Millionaire	Herself/Contestant	Episodes: "Celebrity Millionaire 2; Show 1, 3 & 4"
	MADtv	Katisha	Episodes: "#5.17" & "#5.25"
	Felicity	Jane Scott	Recurring role
2001	Soul Food	Nina Joseph	Episode: "Ordinary Pain"
2003–2018	America's Next Top Model	Herself	Host: Seasons 1–22 & 24, Guest: Season 23
2004	Punk'd		Episode: "#3.8"
	Vibe Awards		Co-Host
	MADtv		Episode: "Episode #10.7"
	All of Us	Roni	Episode: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"
	American Dreams	Carolyn Gill	Episode: "Chasing the Past"
2005	The Fabulous Life of...	Herself	Episode: "Today's Hottest Supermodels"
2005–2008	E! True Hollywood Story		Recurring role
2005–2010	Template:Sortname		Host
2006	Germany's Next Topmodel		Episode: "New York"
	The Price Is Right	Herself/Guest Model	Episode: "34.103"
	Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List	Herself	Episode: "Going, Going, Gone"
2008	Deal or No Deal		Episode: "3.51"
2009	Gossip Girl	Ursula Nyquist	Episode: "Dan de Fleurette"
2010	The Soup	Herself	Episode: "7.10"
	Biography		Episode: "Tyra Banks"
2011	Mexico's Next Top Model	Herself/Guest Judge	Episode: "13"
2012	Vietnam's Next Top Model		Episode: "14 - Live Finale"
2012–2013	Shake It Up	Mrs. Burke	Guest
2013	Asia's Next Top Model	Herself/Guest Judge	Episode: "Finale"
	Top Model Norge		Episode: "Season Finale"
	Glee	Bichette	Episode: "Movin' Out"
	China's Next Top Model	Herself/Guest Judge	Episodes: "6 & 12"
2015	Daytime Emmy Awards	Herself	Host
	Australia's Next Top Model	Herself/Guest Judge	Episode: "Finale"
	VIP for a Day	Herself	Episode: "FABLife"
2015–2016	FABLife		Host
2016	Black-ish	Gigi Franklin	Episodes: "Plus Two Isn't a Thing" & "Just Christmas, Baby"
2017	The New Celebrity Apprentice	Herself/Boardroom Advisor	Recurring role
	So Cosmo	Herself	Episode: "Vol. 1, No. 4: Fun Fearless Money"
2017–2018	America's Got Talent		Host: Seasons 12 & 13
2018	Women That Soar Awards		Host
	Carpool Karaoke		Episode: "Tyra Banks & Lil' Yachty"
2019	Uncensored		Episode: "Tyra Banks"
2020	The View	Herself/Guest Co-Host	Episode: "Tyra Banks/Gavin Newsom/View Your Deal"
	Celebrity Watch Party	Herself	Recurring role
2020–2022	Dancing with the Stars	Herself/Co-Host	Seasons 29–31
2021	Punk'd	Herself	Episode: "Model Misbehavior With Tyra Banks"
	Entertainment Tonight	Herself/Guest Co-Host	Episode: "Episode #40.250"
	Insecure	Inglewood Mayor	Episode: "Choices, Okay?!"
2022	I Love That for You	Herself	Episode: "#JoannaStrong"
2025	Hollywood Squares	Herself/Panelist	Recurring role
	Bel-Air	TBA	TBA

Music videos

Year	Music video	Artist
1990	So You Like What You See"	Samuelle
1991	"Black or White"	Michael Jackson
	"Love Thing"	Tina Turner
1992	Too Funky"	George Michael
1995	"Trife Life"	Mobb Deep
1996	"Don't Wanna Lose You"	Lionel Richie
2004	"Shake Ya Body"	Herself
2015	"BOOTYful"
2016	"Child's Play"	Drake

Bibliography

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

Awards and nominations

Year	Awards	Category	Recipient	Outcome	Ref.
1999	Teen Choice Awards	Choice Model	Herself	Template:Won	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2004		Choice Reality/Variety TV Star - Female	America's Next Top Model	rowspan=3 Template:Nom	<ref name="imdb.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
2005		Choice TV Personality: Female		<ref name="imdb.com"/>
	Online Film & Television Association Award	Best Host of a Talk or Service Show	The Tyra Banks Show	<ref name="imdb.com"/>
2007	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV: Personality	America's Next Top Model/The Tyra Banks Show	Template:Won	<ref name="imdb.com"/>
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Talk Show	The Tyra Banks Show	rowspan=2 Template:Nom	<ref name="imdb.com"/>
	ASTRA Awards	Favourite International Personality or Actor	America's Next Top Model	<ref name="imdb.com"/>
2008	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV: Personality		rowspan=3 Template:Won	<ref name="imdb.com"/>
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Talk Show/Informative	The Tyra Banks Show	<ref name="imdb.com"/>
2009		Outstanding Talk Show/Informative		<ref name="imdb.com"/>
2017	Teen Choice Awards	Choice TV: Personality	America's Got Talent	rowspan=2 Template:Nom	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019	Kids' Choice Awards	Favorite TV Host		<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

External links

• Template:IMDb name
• Template:Fashionmodel
• Template:People.com
• The Tyra Banks Show website
• The New York Times Profile/Interview