Tyra Banks is a renowned American supermodel, television personality, producer, and businesswoman. With her striking looks and fierce confidence, Banks significantly impacted the modeling world, becoming a household name. She is also celebrated for her groundbreaking work as a television host and producer, notably as the creator and host of the hit reality T.V. series “America’s Next Top Model.” Banks has left an indelible mark on the fashion world and empowered aspiring models and entrepreneurs with her charisma and business acumen.
Contents of this Article
- Tyra Banks’ Appearance
- Facts About Tyra Banks
- Tyra Banks’ Net Worth
- Early Life
- Tyra Banks’ Husband and Family
- Tyra Banks’ Career
- Tyra Banks’ Controversy
- Tyra Banks’ Real Estate
Tyra Banks’ Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 5 ft 10 in
1.78 m |
| Weight | 161 pounds
73 kg |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Green |
| Body Type | Average |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Tyra Banks
| Nationality | American |
| Estimated Net Worth | $90 million |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Birthplace | Inglewood, California |
| Birthday | December 4, 1973 |
Tyra Banks’ Net Worth
As of 2023, Tyra Banks’ net worth is approximately $90 million. Even though Banks began her career as a fashion model, she became very wealthy through her work in television.
Early Life
Tyra Lynne Banks was born in Inglewood, California, on December 4, 1973. Her mom, Carolyn London (now London-Johnson), works as a medical photographer, and her dad, Donald Banks, is a computer consultant. Banks has an older brother named Devin, who is five years her senior. When she was just six years old, in 1979, her parents got divorced.
Banks has shared that during her childhood, she faced teasing about her looks and was often thought of as the “ugly duckling.” On the T.V. show “America’s Next Top Model,” she talked about the findings of a genealogical DNA test from Ancestry.com. The test revealed she is “79% African, 14% British, and 6% Native American.” In an interview, she also mentioned that she has a 1% Finnish ancestry, summing it up by saying, “So, I’m 14% British, 6% Native American, 1% Finnish, and the rest is all African.”
Education
Tyra Banks went to John Burroughs Middle School, and in 1991, she graduated from Immaculate Heart High School in Los Angeles. Then, in February 2012, Banks finished a nine-week course at Harvard University as part of their Owner/President Management program, even though it wasn’t a degree program.
Banks faced criticism for suggesting she graduated from Harvard, which she did not. In her article for Jezebel, Jenna Sauers described Banks’ claims about Harvard as “disingenuous” and urged her to be truthful about her education. In 2012, a Harvard professor named Rohit Deshpande was in the process of creating a case study about Banks’ company, Bankable Productions, for use in future coursework in the OPM program.
Tyra Banks’ Husband and Family
During the 2010s, Tyra Banks was in a relationship with Norwegian photographer Erik Asla. In January 2016, they welcomed a biological son through surrogacy.
Banks has been open about her past experiences with abusive relationships. In 2005, when discussing her relationship history, she didn’t name names but revealed one relationship that involved not just cheating but emotional abuse.
In 2009, she further discussed her past relationships while appearing as a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” where she co-hosted alongside Oprah Winfrey. This episode was dedicated to addressing dating violence in response to the assault on Rihanna by Chris Brown.
Tyra Banks’ Career
Modeling
At 15, Tyra Banks began modeling while attending school in Los Angeles. She faced rejection from four modeling agencies before finally getting signed by L.A. Models. By turning 16, she had moved to Elite Model Management. When the chance to model in Europe came her way, she relocated to Milan. During her first runway season, in the 1991 Paris Fashion Week, she impressively booked 25 shows.
She graced the covers of numerous magazines, including Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Spanish Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, and Teen Vogue. Banks also strutted her stuff on the runways for top fashion brands like Chanel, Oscar de la Renta, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, etc. Her modeling career extended to advertising campaigns for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Dolce & Gabbana, Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria’s Secret, and more.
Banks achieved several significant firsts in the modeling world. She was the first Black woman to grace the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and the first African-American woman to be featured on the cover of G.Q. In 1997, she earned the VH1 award for “Supermodel of the Year.” That same year, she made history again as the first African American to appear on the Victoria’s Secret catalog cover and became a Victoria’s Secret Angel. In 2010, Banks returned to her former modeling agency, IMG Models, and she now contributes to the Vogue Italia website.
In 2019, Banks made a modeling comeback after retiring. She posed for one of the three 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue covers alongside models Camille Kostek and Alex Morgan. This was her third time gracing the cover, a remarkable 22 years after her first appearance. She also revealed that she would now use the modeling name “BanX.”
T.V. and Movie Appearances
Tyra Banks started her television career in the fourth season of “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” She took on the role of Jackie Ames, an old friend of the lead character, Will Smith. She made a total of seven appearances on the show. Her T.V. credits also include roles in “Felicity,” “All That,” “MADtv,” “Nick Cannon’s Wild’ n Out,” and “The Price Is Right.” Additionally, she guest-starred on the animated talk show “Space Ghost Coast to Coast” in an episode titled “Chinatown.”
Banks served as the executive producer and was the former host and judge on “America’s Next Top Model.” She also hosted “The Tyra Banks Show,” a daytime talk show targeting younger women. In 2008, Banks won a Daytime Emmy Award for her work and production on “The Tyra Banks Show.” She secured the award for the second consecutive year in 2009, recognized for her outstanding, informative talk show.
Banks ventured into film in 1994 with her first major role in the drama “Higher Learning.” Following that, she co-starred with Lindsay Lohan in the Disney movie “Life-Size,” where she portrayed a doll named Eve who magically comes to life. Her film credits also include “Love Stinks,” “Love & Basketball,” “Coyote Ugly,” “Halloween: Resurrection,” and “Hannah Montana: The Movie.”
In July 2020, it was revealed that Banks would take on the new host role for “Dancing with the Stars.” A month later, in August 2020, she signed a deal with ABC Signature. However, in March 2023, Banks decided to step down from the show after three seasons, opting to prioritize her business commitments.
Other Works
In 1998, Tyra Banks co-authored a book titled “Tyra’s Beauty, Inside and Out.” She announced in May 2010 that she would write a novel called “Modelland,” loosely based on her modeling experiences. This novel was published in September 2011 and was intended to be the first part of a planned three-part series. “Modelland” succeeded significantly, topping The New York Times Best Seller list in October 2011. In 2018, Banks and her mother, Carolyn London, co-authored a book titled “Perfect is Boring.”
In 2014, Banks founded her cosmetics brand, Tyra Beauty, and even completed a non-degree certificate program at Harvard Business School to support her business venture. Tyra Beauty uses a multi-level marketing system to recruit sales distributors, whom the company affectionately calls “beautytainers.”
To find faces for her cosmetics line, Banks organized a casting call and ultimately chose Melody Parra, Monique Hayward, Katy Harvey, and “Top Model Norge” contestant Marita Gomsrud as the original beauty models.
Tyra Banks’ Controversy
“America’s Next Top Model” faced intense criticism when a series of controversial statements made by host Tyra Banks during its 24 seasons were revealed. Recently, concerns have been raised about certain controversial moments in the modeling competition. These include a photoshoot where models used makeup to imitate different ethnicities and another where a deaf contestant was asked to pose in complete darkness, unable to see their translator.
Moreover, a clip resurfaced where Banks referred to a size six model as “plus-size,” even though plus sizes usually begin at size 12. In the same episode, one of the judges called the contestant “fat” and “huge,” which left many online feeling disgusted by their remarks.
Several other clips have been circulating as well. One of them shows the photo director on the series advising a model to “take better care of her body” when she gained weight. In another clip, a contestant was asked to dress like an elephant after the judges criticized her for having an unhealthy diet.
Banks have faced further criticism for various issues, such as requesting gay contestants to downplay their sexuality, appearing to let models make transphobic comments on the show, and emphasizing some of the women’s imperfections and pressuring them to alter their appearance.
In May 2020, Banks used Twitter to acknowledge the backlash the show received when it was added to Netflix. She tweeted, “Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments, and I agree with you. Looking back, those were some really off choices.”
Tyra Banks’ Real Estate
In 2004, Tyra Banks purchased a 5,740-square-foot house in Beverly Hills for a little over $3 million. She sold this four-bedroom Spanish Colonial residence in 2016 for $6.33 million. Banks owns a 7,000-square-foot duplex in Manhattan, complete with a salon, gym, and mirrored dressing room. She acquired this Battery Park City duplex, consisting of four apartments, in 2009 for $10.13 million. She decided to rent it out in March 2015, asking $50,000 per month. In the spring of 2017, Banks put the property on the market for $17.5 million, but it has yet to be sold.
Banks has been involved in house flipping in Los Angeles. In May 2018, she put two homes in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood up for sale. The first was a 6,135-square-foot house listed at $9.25 million, and the second was a 3,700-square-foot home she had bought for $4.25 million. Banks had acquired the larger home just two years earlier for $7.35 million and the smaller one for $3.25 million in 2014. She sold both properties in just a few months for $8.9 million and $4 million, respectively. She also sold an L.A. townhome for $1.47 million that same year.
In February 2018, Banks bought another house in Pacific Palisades for $6.995 million. She later sold this house in December 2021 for $7.895 million. Then, in June 2019, she acquired a single-story home for just under $3 million. This marked her fifth purchase in the Pacific Palisades area within two years.
Net Worth of Other Notable TV Hosts
Trevor Noah’s Net Worth
Trevor Noah, a South African comedian, actor, and television host, has achieved global acclaim with his incisive wit and humor. Born during apartheid, his unique life experiences as a biracial individual have equipped him with rich content that he seamlessly integrates into his comedy acts. Noah’s breakthrough moment on the international stage came when he replaced Jon Stewart as the host of “The Daily Show” in 2015. While his comedic journey started with stand-up routines in local clubs, he eventually ventured into television, acting, radio, and writing, cementing his position as a multifaceted talent. Despite encountering occasional controversies, mainly due to his fearless humor, Noah’s influence in the comedy world and late-night television remains undeniable. His success in various endeavors has significantly bolstered Trevor Noah’s net worth, which stands at an estimated $100 million as of 2023.
Andy Cohen’s Net Worth
Andy Cohen is a renowned American television host, producer, and author who has left a significant mark on the entertainment industry. Best known for his captivating hosting style on the late-night talk show “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Cohen has built a loyal following. He is also notable for his influential role as an executive at Bravo TV, where he was instrumental in creating the iconic “Real Housewives” franchise. His diverse career encompasses a wide range of achievements, from television to radio, books, and even real estate investments. As of 2023, Andy Cohen’s net worth is estimated to be around $50 million.