With this week’s premiere of Netflix’s ‘Reality Check: America’s Next Top Model’, it seemed like a good time to take a look into the history of the Smize Queen herself: Tyra Banks.

You know her as the creator and host of America’s Next Top Model. You know her as a Victoria’s Secret Model. You know her as the woman who yelled, “WE WERE ROOTING FOR YOU. WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!”

But do you know Tyra Banks as the boss of several (failed) businesses? A Twilight-style Young Adult novel/movie/product empire called ‘Modelland’ that was cancelled after one book. A beauty line called ‘Tyra Beauty’ that was actually an MLM and folded in less than two years. A theme park based on… ‘models’ that she said was too hard to describe but was essentially just a place to get $1500 glamour shots (also no longer in business). And now, of course, we have Tyra’s ‘Hot Ice Cream’ at her ‘Smize and Dream’ ice cream store (which has already had some food regulation dramas).

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Podcast: ‘Curse of America’s Next Top Model’

‘You Wanna Be On Top? A Memoir of Makeovers, Manipulation and Not Becoming America’s Next Top Model’ by Sarah Hartshorne

Episode of ‘The Big Flop’ podcast: ‘Tyra Banks - America’s Next Top Business Woman?’

Netflix doco ‘Reality Check: America’s Next Top Model’ trailer

ABC article by Casey Briggs: Tyra Banks' 'Hot Ice Cream' went viral. Don't expect to see it called that anymore (2026)

‘Shake Ya Body’ music video

ModelLand ‘sizzle reel’ from an ANTM episode

The Cut article ‘I made a whopping $27.75 selling Tyra Banks beauty products’ by Kathleen Schaefer (2016)

Tyra Banks Wikipedia

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