The girls are revisiting the runway trauma, and Mr. Jay is finally speaking his truth. Former America’s Next Top Model creative director and panelist, Jay Manuel, reflects on his time behind the scenes. He wishes he had done more to protect the contestants. Read his latest revelation inside.
In the wake of Netflix’s docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model (ANTM), Jay Manuel dishes on his time behind the scenes of America’s Next Top Model and admits he wishes he had done more for the contestants.
According to People, Manuel opened up during a New York City book event and revealed that if he could go back, he would have drawn firmer boundaries while working on the long-running modeling competition. He explained that he initially joined the show to support Tyra Banks, whom he praised as a Black model who fought her way to the top in an industry that often underpaid and discarded women who looked like her.
Manuel said they all went into the show with good intentions. But as the series became a hit and sponsors got involved, creative control started to shift. He pointed to controversial moments, such as the race-swapping photo shoot, and admitted he struggled to push back.
Looking back on all of the ANTM controversy, Manuel said, “The real answer is the one thing I wish that I could have done in general was draw better boundaries.” He continued, “Ultimately, my job should have been creating a safer space, and I should have pushed back on certain things a lot harder than I did.”
Manuel shared that in his early thirties, he dealt with people-pleasing tendencies and did not always stand firm when production pressures mounted. He said he wishes he had pushed harder against decisions that may have compromised the contestants’ comfort and well-being.
The conversation does not end there. Entertainment Weekly reports that former judge Kelly Cutrone clapped back at Manuel’s recent comments, accusing him of trying to stay relevant and defending Banks in the process. Cutrone even took personal shots at his career and appearance in a social media comment that quickly made rounds online.
“Side note – Jay never even worked in the fashion industry – he worked at a MAC makeup counter in Toronto,” Cutrone wrote in an Instagram comment. “Tyra boosted him and how did he repay here [sic] – by writing a novel about her and the show (which no one bought) and now he is trying to become relevant by being out there trashing her again.”
Meanwhile, Manuel has also alleged that his relationship with Banks became strained after he expressed interest in leaving the show around cycle eight. He claimed she stopped speaking to him off camera, which he described as mentally taxing. Banks has since admitted in the docuseries that she went too far at times during production, but has also defended the show’s overall legacy.
Manuel’s reflection feels like part confession and part closure. The glitz of panel critiques and dramatic eliminations made for iconic television. But behind the smize and the catchphrases were real young women navigating high-pressure situations.
Now, years later, Mr. Jay is owning the fact that he wishes he had protected them better. And the internet is once again asking who really set the tone on that runway?
