Vital update on Miss J Alexander’s health after shocking stroke that left him unable to walk
He was in a coma for five weeks
If you grew up obsessed with America’s Next Top Model, then Miss J Alexander is basically runway royalty.
The legendary coach, aka the king of the strut and iconic one-liners, is back in the spotlight, but not for fashion drama this time.
After revealing he suffered a shocking stroke that left him unable to walk, people have been seriously worried about how he’s doing now.
The Netflix documentary reignited the conversation, and with fresh updates from his ANTM co-stars, there’s finally some hopeful news about his recovery journey.
What happened to Miss J Alexander?
In the Netflix docuseries, Miss J reveals he had a stroke on December 27, 2022, and that the aftermath was devastating. He says he spent five weeks in a coma, and when he woke up, he couldn’t walk or talk.
It’s especially heartbreaking because… this is Miss J. The man who literally taught generations of contestants how to glide, stomp, and sell a garment from 40 feet away.
In the ANTM documentary, he shares the emotional whiplash of going from runway authority to suddenly needing a wheelchair, and how overwhelming that loss of independence felt.
The good news, though, is that by the time filming happened, Miss J had regained his speech, even though he still wasn’t able to walk yet.
He also makes it clear he’s not giving up, he’s determined to get back to himself, step by step.
Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker give an update on his health
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Okay, here’s the update we all needed. Miss J’s longtime ANTM besties Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker have been speaking about his recovery, and they’re saying he’s made real progress.
Jay shared with Entertainment Tonight that Miss J is doing physical therapy every day, getting stronger, and, crucially, that he can get out of his wheelchair and take steps now.
As Jay put it, people didn’t know that part because at the time the documentary was filmed, he couldn’t.
Nigel also spoke about visiting Miss J in the hospital early on, describing how severe things were right after the stroke. But even then, he says Miss J’s spirit was still there, and he’s adamant that “nothing is going to stop” him.
The Tyra question
The documentary also touches on Miss J’s relationship with Tyra Banks, and it’s a bit awkward. Miss J says Tyra hasn’t visited him since his stroke, though she texted saying she wants to come by.
Meanwhile, Jay and Nigel did show up for him, and the doc really leans into that reunion energy: emotional, supportive, and very “the trio is back, just under seriously sad circumstances.”
Right now, the most solid, recent update is that Miss J is stronger, doing daily physio, and is able to take steps, which is huge considering where he started.
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