{"id":46536,"date":"2026-02-19T17:07:28","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/?p=46536"},"modified":"2026-02-19T17:07:28","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T17:07:28","slug":"tyra-banks-didnt-join-the-antm-doc-until-the-very-last-minute-according-to-joanie-sprague","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetab.com\/realityshrine\/2026\/02\/19\/tyra-banks-didnt-join-the-antm-doc-until-the-very-last-minute-according-to-joanie-sprague\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyra Banks didn’t join the ANTM doc ‘until the very last minute’, according to Joanie Sprague"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tyra Banks<\/a> being in Netflix\u2019s Reality Check: Inside America\u2019s Next Top Model feels inevitable… she is ANTM.<\/p>\n

But according to cycle six icon Joanie Sprague<\/a>, her presence wasn\u2019t always part of the plan.<\/p>\n

In a Q&A on Instagram, Joanie suggested Tyra\u2019s involvement came together super late, which has some side-eyeing everything from the documentary\u2019s tone to what didn\u2019t make the final cut.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s break down what Joanie said, what Whitney Thompson has hinted about the off-camera experience, and what’s actually confirmed…<\/p>\n

Joanie lifted the lid on the ANTM doc filming<\/h2>\n
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Credit: Instagram<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In her Instagram Stories Q&A, Joanie responded to a fan asking whether the cast knew from the beginning that Tyra would be interviewed.<\/p>\n

Her answer was basically, no, she said Tyra \u201cdidn\u2019t join until the very last minute,\u201d and that she \u201cwasn\u2019t even a part of it\u201d until suddenly she was.<\/p>\n

And Joanie also hinted there was a lot more that could\u2019ve been explored, especially the day-to-day reality of filming and how contestants were treated<\/a> when cameras weren\u2019t rolling, which makes sense given what other former models have said over the years about the \u201creal\u201d show happening off-screen.<\/p>\n

Why Tyra\u2019s \u201clate\u201d interview is believable<\/h2>\n

Here\u2019s where it gets interesting… the directors have essentially backed up the idea that Tyra wasn\u2019t part of the doc\u2019s earliest stages.<\/p>\n

The Los Angeles Times<\/a> reported that co-director Daniel Sivan said Banks wasn\u2019t invited to be interviewed until well after production began, and that the series wasn\u2019t affiliated with her.<\/p>\n

He described her participation as a bonus, not a requirement and noted she eventually agreed to a lengthy sit-down.<\/p>\n

Netflix\u2019s Tudum<\/a> also emphasises that Tyra participated as an interview subject only, with no creative control or input, and that she\u2019s \u201cseeing the footage for the first time\u201d like everyone else.<\/p>\n

So while \u201cvery last minute\u201d is Joanie\u2019s phrasing, other outlets support the broader point that Tyra\u2019s involvement wasn\u2019t baked in from day one.<\/p>\n

Whitney Thompson echoed the same message<\/h2>\n
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A post shared by Whitney Lee Thompson Forrester (@whitneyantm)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n