Biography
Tyra Banks | From Runway Reject to Media Mogul (2026)
Who is Tyra Banks?
Tyra Banks is an American supermodel, television host, producer, and entrepreneur best known for creating America’s Next Top Model and for her decade-long run as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Born in Inglewood, California, on December 4, 1973, Banks is currently 52 years old and remains one of the most recognizable names in fashion and reality television.
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tyra Lynne Banks |
| Date of Birth | 4th December 1973 |
| Birth Place | Inglewood, California |
| Parents | Donald Banks (Father) Carolyn London (Mother) |
| Profession | Model, Actor, Author, Businessperson, TV personality, Screenwriter, Singer |
| Known For | America's Next Top Model, Victoria's Secret Angel |
| Partner(s) | Louis Bélanger-Martin |
| Age | 52 years |
| Height | 5 ft 10 in |
| Children | York Banks Asla (born 2016) |
| Current Residence | Sydney, Australia |
| Net Worth | US $90 million |
Early Life and Education
Tyra Banks is the daughter of Carolyn London, a photographer, and Donald Banks, an IT specialist. She has an older brother, Devin Banks, who has served on Air Force One. Her parents divorced when she was six, an experience she has said shaped her early relationship with self-image.
Banks attended John Burroughs Middle School and Immaculate Heart School in Los Angeles, graduating in 1991. She was accepted to UCLA to study film production but chose to pursue modeling full time instead.
Modeling Career and Victoria’s Secret Comeback
Banks signed with the Elite modeling agency at 17 and moved to Paris in 1993, quickly becoming the face of brands including Swatch, Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Michael Kors. In 1997 she became the first African American woman to appear on the covers of both GQ and Sports Illustrated. That same year she landed the Victoria’s Secret catalog cover and went on to walk as a Victoria’s Secret Angel from 1998 to 2005.
2024 comeback
In October 2024, Banks returned to the Victoria’s Secret runway for the first time in nearly 20 years, closing the brand’s revived Fashion Show in a bedazzled corset and cape. The appearance led her to re-sign with IMG Models in early 2025. She sat out the 2025 show while focused on her business in Australia, but has said she now plans to model officially again.
Television Career
America’s Next Top Model
Banks created, hosted, and executive produced America’s Next Top Model for 24 cycles between 2003 and 2018. The show remains her signature television achievement and launched her into a broader media career, including The Tyra Banks Show (2005–2010).
Dancing with the Stars Exit
Banks joined Dancing with the Stars as host in 2020, becoming the show’s first Black female host. In March 2023, she announced she was leaving after three seasons to focus on entrepreneurship, telling TMZ it was time to “graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor.” Julianne Hough succeeded her as host.
Netflix’s Reality Check Documentary and Lawsuit
In February 2026, Banks appeared in Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, a three-part Netflix docuseries revisiting the show’s legacy, including its history of body-shaming and controversial production choices. The documentary reignited public scrutiny of Banks and sparked renewed talk of a potential Cycle 25.
In June 2026, Banks filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, alleging producers edited her three-and-a-half-hour interview down to 16 minutes in a way that misrepresented her response to a contestant’s account of sexual assault on set. Netflix has denied wrongdoing and moved to dismiss the case in August 2026, with a hearing scheduled for late October 2026. The lawsuit remains ongoing.
Business Ventures: SMiZE & Dream Ice Cream
Banks founded the ice cream brand SMiZE & Dream, opening a mobile outlet in Dubai and a shop in Los Angeles before launching a Washington, D.C. pop-up in July 2024 and a flagship Sydney store in 2025.
The D.C. location led to a legal dispute: a landlord sued Banks and business partner Louis Bélanger-Martin for $2.8 million over a broken lease. The case was dismissed and refiled in local court, and Banks has since sought sanctions against the landlord, calling his claims a “celebrity shakedown.” The dispute is unresolved.
Personal Life
Banks’ only son, York Banks Asla, was born via surrogate in 2016 during her relationship with Norwegian photographer Erik Asla (2013–2017).
Since late 2023, Banks has lived in Sydney, Australia, with York and her partner, Louis Bélanger-Martin, primarily to run SMiZE & Dream and pursue a lower-profile family life outside Los Angeles. She has also spoken publicly about navigating menopause while managing her businesses.
Tyra Banks Net Worth in 2026
As of 2026, Tyra Banks’ net worth is estimated at $90 million. Her wealth comes from decades of modeling contracts, television hosting and production credits (America’s Next Top Model, The Tyra Banks Show, Dancing with the Stars), business ventures including SMiZE & Dream and Tyra Beauty, and real estate investments.
