Tyra Banks Was a 'Diva Nightmare' During Controversial Victoria's Secret Catwalk Show Where She Resurrected Her Trademark 'Smize' Move
Tyra Banks was reportedly a 'nightmare' while attending the annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Oct. 18 2024, Published 12:19 p.m. ET
Tyra Banks strutted back to the runway for the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show – but before the "diva" model made her dramatic return she had strict demands, flat-out "refused" to share a room, and demanded to be filmed a certain way.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the VS veteran – whose catwalk return comes after a 19-year hiatus – was a "nightmare" to work with before the controversial show.
Banks was reportedly demanding her own dressing room and specific outfits while making her return to the VS runway event.
The retailer held its fashion function on October 15, where Banks, 50, came out of retirement to close out the show.
Banks was a trailblazer — an OG Angel who got her start with the brand in 1997 and became the first Black model to grace the VS catalog's cover.
The supermodel's return to the VS catwalk came after a 19-year hiatus.
While her runway return and trademarked "smize" excited many fans, the show – which some slammed as being too "woke" – didn't have the easiest time meeting the America's Next Top Model host's demands.
A source told RadarOnline.com that "Tyra was a nightmare backstage at VS show."
They added: "Only model that demanded her own private dressing room - everyone else shared. Insisted if they wanted her, they couldn’t also have Naomi Campbell."
During her walk, Banks allegedly "refused to be shown from behind" and demanded that her bottom "be covered at all times."
Victoria's Secret also reportedly had to design a special bustle for her to wear onstage, according to our source.
Banks ended up wearing a busty black bra underneath a rhinestoned corset, which was paired with black pants and a metallic cape.
Yes, Tyra's "smize" ignited nostalgia for many supporters, but others thought her walk was "sloppy and bad."
One person commented on an IG clip of Banks on the catwalk, saying she was "overdoing it."
Another wrote: "Did Tyra always walk like this? I just noticed it’s pretty bad… like sloppy bad."
Others slammed the show as a whole, saying the event was far too "woke" and went overboard to be inclusive.
After a six-year break, this year's VS Fashion Show turned heads with its transgender, plus-sized, and older models (sorry Tyra) — a 180 from the tall, skinny, young models many are used to seeing.
Many also thought this year's show — held at Victoria's Secret's flagship store in New York — lacked its traditional fanfare in general, leaving the majority of viewers unimpressed.
One viewer ranted on X: "Victoria's Secret came back with the most boring show ever," while another user wrote: "The Victoria's Secret show looks so modern and boring now, I'm disappointed."
Some viewers slammed the runway event for being too 'woke' as it included older, transgender, and plus-sized models.
Another slammed: "Victoria's Secret has yet to listen to our public demands. This is not the show we wanted. Everyone's hair is flat, no extremely tall models, the entire production is different."
Others gave the iconic fashion brand a new logo — "Go woke, go broke."
The 2024 event featured Brazilian model Valentina Sampaio, who made history as the brand's first transgender model in 2019 when walking the runway alongside fellow transgender star Alex Consani.
Plus-sized model Ashley Graham also made her VS Fashion Show debut, joining seasoned veterans and former Angels like Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, and Banks.
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Plus-sized model Ashley Graham represented the curvy girls at the 2024 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
Pop legend Cher headlined the show alongside Lisa and South African singer Tyla, marking the first-ever all-woman musical lineup in its history.
The show's "woke" makeover follows three years after the lingerie brand's controversial body-positive rebranding.
Victoria's Secret's renowned Angels were replaced by "ambassadors" while the company fired its long-time CEO amid declining sales and an exposé that accused it of misogyny, sexual harassment, and bullying.
The glamorous spectacle, known for its tall models sporting 10-foot white feathered wings, thongs, and basques, was seen as outdated in the #MeToo era.
The annual show was axed in November 2019 before plans for its revival were revealed earlier this year.
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