Cynthia McFadden tried to pierce Tyra Banks’ beatific supermodel demeanor when she pointedly asked her about the firings of both Janice Dickinson and Paulina Porizkova from America’s Next Top Model last night. The Nightline reporter was swiftly blocked by Banks’ faithful publicist despite her protests.
“Both Paulina Porizkova and Janice Dickinson, when they left the show, were not very nice about you,” McFadden said, mispronouncing Porkizkova. If the basic stumble over her fellow former supermodel’s last name was a source of glee for Tyra, she did not let on as she smiled with her eyes and seethed with her soul.
“Let’s not go there,” her publicist interjected.
“I am going to go there. I am going to ask that question,” said McFadden before the interview faded to an audition scene. McFadden had lost this battle, but not for want of trying, as ABC’s editing was sure to show.
[From The Huffington Post]
That’s the first time we’ve seen Tyra stab with her eyes as opposed to smiling. Porizkova was famously dumped by Banks on her 44th birthday with our current economic status given as the reason. Although, Paulina had other ideas about why she was shown the catwalk out of there.
“The reason I was told I was fired was because, it seemed that ‘America’s Next Top Model’ has gotten too fat and they needed to cut some fat and the fat was me,” Paulina recounted. “So I figured it was either that or my gigantic huge ego. Which I wasn’t aware of before I was told by the producers that I have an ego problem.”
[From The Huffington Post]
Paulina has also gone on record as to her dislike of what she perceived as Banks’ diva behavior. Hey, she’s got a talk show and 14 models to give insane conflicting advice to every ANTM cycle, you’d be running late, too!
“I must admit I was having a little bit of an issue with Tyra being late for every judging,” she told Billy. “It’s six hours later and I feel like I am being told my time is not as valuable as hers. They pointed out that I should shut up and be grateful for the job and that Tyra is really busy.”
“I think that my little hissy fits about ‘Well, we are all here on time. Why can’t she (Tyra)?’ didn’t go over all that well,” added Paulina, who replaced the previous judge, supermodel Twiggy.
[From Yahoo!]
Dickinson was fired earlier on in the show’s run, after cycle four. She is also known for carrying a grudge against the recently unwigged Banks. Then again, Dickinson is crazy and probably also bears a grudge against the mailman and parking meters.
Top Model will reportedly use a rotating cycle of guest judges this cycle, including Lauren Conrad and Kim Kardashian. This cycle’s premiere last nightfeatured supermodel Chanel Iman as the judge.
Here’s Tyra at the Daytime Emmys on August 30th. Images thanks to WENN.com .
It’s easy to feel threatened if you’re a phony.
If I was Cynthia McFadden I would have beaten Tyra Banks’ publicist for being so annoying and slapped Tyra silly for being a weirdo. Tyra should have been more professional then that, it was not like it she was asked such an offensive question.
Also, Lauren Conrad and Kim Kardashian as guest judges? What the hell do they know about modelling and no, Kim Kardashian posing for Playboy and other similar tasteless magazines does not make her an actual model. ANTM has gone downhill since season 5.
Oh please renee give me a break. Tyra is a piece of work. Race is not irrelevant but sometimes diva trumps all.
I think its cause Tyra is a bitch, plain and simple!
But didn’t someone once say, you don’t get anywhere being nice.
I don’t like Tyra.She is fake to no end and sneaky as hell.There is a reason she can’t keep a man to save her life.She’s always feeling up people.The woman is a perv.I prefer Naomi, at least she doesn’t try to hide anything..
I love that she admits her models have gone on to do shoots for JC Pennys. I love that the excuse is that “Who is americas top model?” and acts like its an unfortunate name choice. As if she had no say in the matter.
gimme a break renee. you can be powerful and still treat your co-workers with respect.
Wow she lost that weight she gained last year, maybe cause she got a man now…LOL
@ renee…Only people with no life defend a person they probably never met.Get your head out of Tyras whoo haa and think before you speak.
renee, tyra’s problem is that she thinks they SHOULD be jealous. she thinks she is better than them and everyone else.
Tyra didn’t used to bug me. now she does. she’s very condescending and she can’t even show up on time or her show. That’s so unprofessional. There you have it, she is a diva and people let her get away with it. And those who don’t get fired.
I agree with hunnybe, Naomi is a diva like no other but she doesn’t try to sugar coat it. she can be a heinous B*tch, but she doesn’t make excuses.
My roommates and i used to love ANTM but now we can’t stand it. And I’m sorry, forcing your models to live in a house that has a million pictures of you is pathetic. We get it. you’re the star. now get over it. We’re all over you.
Did I actually hear Tyra say she got her hair “did” instead of she got her hair “done”…and there was another huge grammatical mistake I heard her make, but I’ve forgotten it. I gave her credit for being a bit smarter than that.
Meow.
Wow she’s lost of ton of weight, looks like she’s about to disappear! She is a complete MESS…either way…
Again, I just hate it when powerful women in their own right (Tyra, Paulina etc…) are pitted against each other and the media states “jealousy” as the reason. You’ll never see, let’s say, top male directors like Spielberg or Ron Howard having a public row and have the reason being given that they are jealous of each other. I wish that were the case for women in high positions.
Why does it have to be jealousy? Why can’t itbe that they just have contrasting personalities and just don’t like each other?
I am proud of Tyra for her accomplishments. However she has started to get on my nerves not because I’m suppose to be jealous of her but because she makes everything about her.
*Shrugs*
I love Paulina Porizkova, she is of the “true bunch” of supermodels from the 90’s along the lines of Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Hedi Klum et al., Unlike Tyra-super-inflated ego. And a true Diva only belongs in an Opera House.
That smile she was doing… That made me want to crawl into the back of my couch.
I use to like Tyra like back when she did the first season of ANTM. But then she was given her own talk show and people who were guests came forth with the stuff we couldn’t see. I remember the one case of the European woman whose daughter wanted to be a model (She idolized Tyra) and Tyra paints the mother out to being a child pornographer. Then there is the other case of the make-overs in which one of them had to go to the hospital cause the weave was doing something or another to her scalp. The whole production, Tyra, and everyone else ignored the person when they would say something or another about the pain.
It’s just distasteful. I’d much rather see Naomi host these shows than her. I’d much rather see Janice host these shows. It’d be much more interesting.
i just thought the question wasnt like hard or difficult. the stare was like “i will KILL you” look. she looked like she tried to laugh and giggle her way out but it was obvious she looked like she wanted to scream. i think she is a fake. she got too too tensed. “i didnt say it..you did” geez.
Tyra looked like a trained dog when the “publicist” told her to shush.
Owned…
Tyra is so full of herself.
OMG I just noticed her boyfriend is a BANKER!!!!!! How many jewels did he buy you Tyra with OUR bailout money, I wonder?
Okay I am going to laugh myself to sleep while her fans make the banking industry richer. *$ho
(chuckles and signs off for a snooze)
i figured that it was probably one of those topics that was agreed would not be raised prior to the interview – celebs are known to give conditions like that – and cynthia raised it anyway. who knows. maybe im alone in this, but i wanted to high five tyra. she wasnt having it. cynthia was the one trying to bait tyra into feeding into a supposed catfight and it WAS cynthia and not tyra who brought up the jealousy angle. cynthia didnt have to go there, its a sexist take, and tyra was right to be pissed and showed spine in refusing to be goaded into it. its her show, she can fire whom she likes. the woman IS a legit businesswoman – you dont see people like cynthia asking bill gates questions like that in an obnoxious tone when he fires people or asking why their love life hasnt “gelled”. good for tyra not taking cynthia’s crap.
andrea- she is running a business and two of her former employees were upset enough over their working conditions that they took it to the press. journalists are free to ask business runners/owners like tyra banks or anyone else about their business practice and how they treat their employees.
tyra was the one suggesting it was a “catfight” by implying that they are jealous. the interviewer simply picked up on what she was suggesting then tyra tried to make it look like it was cynthia’s suggestion.
@Judy: I think the ‘did’ to which you refer is idiomatic. I’m not sure to what extent it’s a regional thing, but I think that it’s a black female (southern?)American colloquialism.
I’ve heard it a few times in context, and it doesn’t seem to be symptomatic of a grammar schism, but a joking acknowledgement (most often delivered with great affectation) of the over-the-top ritual of achieving and maintaining a glamourous beauty regimine. Embrace the process and have fun?
I can’t say for sure, people don’t use the phrase where I’m from, but that’s the sense I get whenever I hear the phrase.
That bitch is evil, I tells ya!
Renee has been deleted?
Please post pics of Tyra before nose job. Hideous!
@TwinkleToes Renee asked that all her posts be deleted, so they’re all gone.
Jo “mama bessner” is right – people say that all the time jokingly. Get mah hair(s) did. It is rife in the South. Anyway, if that’s her real hair it looks pretty damn good.
I know she can be annoying in many ways to people on and off her shows, but seeing the above video, I thought she handled herself amazingly well. I sure wish I didn’t get sucked into pointed questions, myself. Not that anybody wants to interview me, LOL!
ALSO, I have to address Naomi Campbell. The woman is a dangerous CRAZY who beats innocent people and throws things as missiles, don’t even compare her to any other model on this planet.
Thanks Jo “Mama Besser” and gg for the education on getting the hair “did.” I stand corrected.
mxml – i shall respectfully disagree on a few points. her former employees are both public figures – they dont have to go to the press – me and my coworkers going to the press about our boss would be a big deal – two former supermodels, not so much. also, i dont know if there was a pre-interview agmt or not in this case, but celebs routinely give interviewers topics they cant ask about – its the only way theyll agree to the interview. i didnt see tyra suggest anything – she didnt even bring up the topic and remained mum other than throwing cynthia’s questions back at her.