Latest news with #EssenceBlackWomeninHollywood
Black America Web
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Tyra Banks Returns For Netflix's America's Next Top Model Docuseries
Source: Christopher Polk / Getty Tyra Banks is stepping back into the spotlight of America's Next Top Model (ANTM) —but this time, behind the scenes. In a rare move, the supermodel-turned-TV mogul has agreed to participate in an upcoming Netflix documentary chronicling the history of the iconic modeling competition series. Read more inside. Entertainment Weekly exclusively reported that the Netflix and EverWonder Studio produced docuseries will offer a deep dive into the legacy of ANTM , which ran for 24 cycles from 2003 to 2018. Banks, who hosted and executive produced 23 of those seasons, sat down for an interview that will be featured in the multi-episode series. While no premiere date has been announced, the documentary promises to explore the highs and lows of the show that helped shape the reality TV landscape and redefine beauty standards. Although Banks rarely revisits the series in long-form projects, her recent public reflections suggest she's ready to engage with the show's complex legacy. At the 2025 Essence Black Women in Hollywood event, she acknowledged past missteps, saying she 'said some dumb s—' on the show, while also defending ANTM 's role in advancing diversity on television during a time when it was sorely lacking. Over the years, ANTM has faced growing criticism, especially after fans began reevaluating the show during the pandemic. Former contestants have spoken out about problematic photo shoots, including racially insensitive challenges and reports of misconduct. In EW 's 20th anniversary oral history published in 2023, cycle 4 alum Keenyah Hill defended one controversial shoot, distinguishing between artistic intent and racial mockery. Banks' team has also responded to backlash, explaining that the show's more provocative concepts were attempts to challenge industry norms that idolized lighter skin and straighter hair. 'The intention was to spotlight underrepresented beauty ideals,' a spokesperson told EW , referencing photo shoots that featured textured hair and darker skin. Despite the controversies, ANTM 's influence is undeniable. It launched the careers of numerous models, sparked global spinoffs, and helped Banks build an entertainment empire. Though the show hasn't returned since its final cycle aired in 2018—and no 25th season is currently in the works—the upcoming Netflix docuseries offers fans a chance to revisit the show through a more critical and reflective lens. With Banks back at the center of the conversation, ANTM is once again ready for its close-up. SEE ALSO Tyra Banks Returns For Netflix's America's Next Top Model Docuseries was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cynthia Erivo Encourages Black Women to Dream Big at Essence Awards: ‘I Got to Fly and Now the Skies Are Waiting for You Too'
As Cynthia Erivo accepted her honors at the Essence Black Women in Hollywood awards, she offered up words of affirmation for the Black women that filled the ballroom, encouraging everyone to dream big and to 'take up space.' 'I know that some of us in this room are still waiting for permission to be, to own every facet of what makes us, us. Let me be the one to say, 'Stop hiding,'' Erivo told the crowd, assembled at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon. 'The thing I have learned in this wonderful moment in my life is that if you do it your way, no one can take it from you.' More from Variety Keke Palmer Didn't Learn Her SAG Awards Dress Was Worn By Jamie Lee Curtis in 1986 Until She Read About It Online: 'I Had No Idea' Oscar Performers: 'Wicked' Stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, Plus Lisa of Blackpink, Doja Cat and More Cynthia Erivo to Host the 2025 Tony Awards Erivo — who was honored alongside Teyana Taylor, Raamla Mohamed, Marla Gibbs and Tyra Banks — began her speech by reading a quote that Essence posted shortly after 'Wicked' hit theaters. The story characterized her performance as the young witch Elphaba, who is ostracized for being born with green skin, as a character that 'speaks to the heart of every Black woman who has ever been judged and misunderstood and yet still, learned that her power was a gift all along.' With that idea front of mind, Erivo used her time to encourage the audience of Black talent, creatives and executives to tap into their own power. 'You weren't insane when you were dreaming of being a superhero. You weren't asking too much when you wanted to be seen for the lead,' Erivo said. 'When you were little and you believed you could fly, that wasn't a fairy tale. When you look at the mirror and the thought crosses your mind, if only for a fleeting moment, that you might be in possession of powerful magic, entertain that thought. Do not dismiss it, nourish it, because it's free. When you walk into a room and people stare, my darling, you have an audience now. Give them what they came for.' Taking a beat to allow the sentiment to sink in (and for the applause to die down), Erivo then said: 'It's not easy to believe that any dream you have is possible, but if you happen to be sat listening to a bald-headed Black Brit, born in South London to a single mom. If you happen to be sat listening to a 30-something-year-old, proud alt Black girl with a gap in her smile, a wide nose and high cheek bones, then you happen to be listening to a woman whose dreams materialized in real time before your very eyes.' As the crowd murmured their own affirmations of 'Mmhmm' and 'yes' back, Erivo wrapped up her remarks: 'I got to fly and now the skies are waiting for you too … I hope and pray that those dreams you keep tucked away rise to the surface. I hope those dreams you dare to dream, really do come true.' Erivo received her award from Keke Palmer, bringing things full circle from Sunday at the NAACP Image Awards when Palmer made a point to shout out the 'Wicked' star (and perform her iconic 'Defying Gravity' riff) while accepting the Entertainer of the Year trophy. Erivo thanked Palmer for that gesture, which she said lifted her spirits amid the exhaustion of awards season, as well as the 'many times that you have celebrated me, even when it's meant to be your moment. It's a very selfless thing to do.' The memeable interaction also invoked another pair of Black women loving on one another — Whitney Houston and Natalie Cole at the 1991 American Music Awards. Because that's one thing about Black women: we're going to big up one another. The special event, hosted by 'Cross' star Aldis Hodge as the token male ally in the room, celebrated Black women every which way — which meant witnessing Issa Rae salute her fellow Emmy-nominated TV creator Mohamed ('Reasonable Doubt,' 'Little Fires Everywhere') by sharing that she'd been a fan since she was a 12 year old schoolgirl dreaming of becoming friends with Mohamed and her clique of cool, older girls. In the same spirit, Mohamed then shouted out nearly three dozen Black women writers — from Yvette Lee Bowser, Shonda Rimes and Courtney Kemp, to Lena Waithe, Robin Thede and Natasha Rothwell — for 'surviving and thriving' and inspiring her despite the challenges they all face. 'All we have is each other,' Mohamed declared, as the audience cheered raucously. Then there was the way Niecy Nash Betts delivered a poetic tribute to her friend Taylor, lauding the multifaceted artist for her talent as an actor, musician, choreographer and more; for her resilience amid personal strife; and, of course, for her killer body. 'Now we will buy the lingerie, but Teyana, do the abs come with it?' Nash Betts joked, referencing Taylor's new collection with Victoria's Secret. Speaking of model looks, another highlight came as Tyra Banks tearfully thanked her mom, Carolyn London, for not allowing her to quit when she struggled making her name in Paris as a teen and for encouraging her to sign a major modeling contract, despite the fact that she'd be making 90% less than a model with a lower Q score. 'Perception is reality,' her mother told her about the upside of agreeing to the deal. 'You're going to sign that and you're going to be everywhere. And that perception is going to make that next check what you are truly worth. And she was right.' Reflecting on her career, Banks added: 'I'm so excited that I, and so many of us, have opened that door for others to follow. And now my 51-year-old dimpled, cellulite, bigger tummy, 10 million times bigger titties, is walking through that door that I opened, with all of us behind us on that runway saying, 'Baby it's just beginning.'' Scroll for a look inside this year's ceremony, which will stream on Essence's YouTube channel beginning March 3: Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in March 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Grammy Predictions, From Beyoncé to Kendrick Lamar: Who Will Win? Who Should Win?
