Tyra Banks’ response to ‘America’s Next Top Model’ judge’s stroke sparks backlash

Anyone who grew up in the ’00s is probably incredibly familiar with the reality show “America’s Next Top Model,” which premiered in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons. But in case you missed it, it basically follows a bunch of aspiring models who compete against each other in a series of challenges to win a lucrative modeling contract.

The show was hosted by Tyra Banks, who was also an executive producer as she was actually the one who came up with the concept and pitched it to esteemed TV producer Ken Mok in the early ’00s.

He remained on the show until 2012, when he, his fellow judge and photographer Nigel Barker, and “ANTM’s” creative director Jay Manuel were also let go.

To the camera, Alexander, now 67, explained: “On December 27, 2022, I had a stroke. I woke up, I didn’t know where I was other than in the hospital. I spent five weeks in a coma, and I couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t talk. I thought to myself: ‘What was I going to do?’ I couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t speak.”