Tyra Banks is currently under fire for allegations that she abused young women, despite having convinced everyone for years that Naomi Campbell was the true villain. “I’ve never said that in my life,” Naomi remarked, shedding light on the long-standing feud. As the media turned against Naomi, Tyra ascended to the pinnacle of the supermodel world. But Naomi knew something the public didn’t: Tyra had hurt and exploited many people.
“It’s very upsetting and heartbreaking,” Naomi shared. “Tyra is trying to get away with it. It’s frustrating that women are often pitted against each other. Will I be the one who finally holds her accountable? During that fashion show, you approached me just before I was about to walk out and said, ‘You’ll never be me. Don’t ever think you’ll be me.’ And I said that? It doesn’t sound like me. For those who know me, this was one of the most difficult times in my life.”
Naomi has reigned as a queen in the fashion industry for decades, though she’s also known for her temper. “You have a reputation, rightly or wrongly, for being quite an angry person. You know that, right?” Tyra asked. “Thank you,” Naomi replied.
When Tyra shared the stage with Naomi for the first time, the tension was obvious. Tyra recalled, “I called my aunt and said, ‘She’s right behind me. Oh my gosh, she’s so beautiful. She’s right here. Can you believe it?’ But Naomi, do you remember what you said to me? You said, ‘I heard you talking about me.’ You called me the B-word.”
People didn’t understand how much the media played a role in turning them against each other. “They would say things like, ‘Tyra Banks, the new Naomi Campbell.’ I rose to fame quickly, and the industry was saying, ‘Watch out, Naomi Campbell. Here comes Tyra Banks.’ It was as if there could only be one woman of color in a fashion show. Back then, it felt like, ‘Okay, we just have one,’ so the other would think, ‘Oh, she’s replacing me.'”
Naomi was no stranger to struggle. Growing up, she always had to fight to get by. “I used to get hit a lot because I was extremely thin. I remember once a boy hit me in my stomach and threw stones at me. People think, ‘Oh, Naomi’s tough and strong,’ but I put on that facade because I fear that if I don’t, people will walk all over me.”
While the media criticized Naomi for her temper, they didn’t know what she was going through. When six of her friends died in the same year, she turned to drugs to cope. “I felt like I couldn’t keep up with the sorrow, so I started using drugs. I showed up for work and collapsed.”
While Tyra built a wholesome brand with sitcoms and daytime TV shows, Naomi went to rehab. She got clean but never fully addressed her anger issues, leading to four separate assault convictions.
“One of your assistants said you grabbed her by the throat and hit her with a phone. You assaulted a photographer, scratched his eye with your purse, and kicked and spat at police officers on a British Airways plane. We had to look deeper to find the root of your anger. Are you just a diva who throws things when you don’t get your way? No, it comes from a deeper place. For me, it’s about abandonment. I was 19 when I had Naomi and was a single mom. I left Naomi to work to give her a better life. I understand her anger, but it’s still not an excuse.”
When Naomi was asked to be on Tyra’s show, she knew Tyra would bring up their past issues. Even so, she agreed to go on, ready to own up to her past mistakes. “When this powerful, strong, iconic woman that I looked up to was terrorizing me, however I have affected you, I take my responsibility. And I was going to say I’m very proud of you, being a powerful Black woman sitting here and doing what you’re doing. Please give them to me. Thank you. Naomi, thank you so much for saying that. You have no idea what my heart is doing now. Thank you so much.”
“It’s tough to be publicly villainized and then hold that and apologize. But that wasn’t the whole story with Tyra. After she painted herself as a victim of Naomi’s bullying, another side of her came out when she was hosting ‘America’s Next Top Model.'”
“I have never in my life yelled at a girl like this! I was rooting for you! We were all rooting for you! How dare you! Do you really think you can have a CoverGirl contract with the gap in your teeth? Why not? This is all people say. ‘Easier is beautiful,’ flower girl.”
Models from the show started speaking out against Tyra, accusing her of allowing a culture of abuse. “I grew up idolizing this woman, but she’s a fake. How do you sleep at night knowing that you’re poking at girls’ childhood traumas?”
A backlash against Tyra reached a peak. “Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of why ‘America’s Next Top Model’ is the most toxic show of its decade. I couldn’t believe the things that came out of those people’s mouths. This show is literally why I experienced eating disorders growing up.”
Did Naomi ever call her out? She didn’t. Naomi, who had been known for her anger, chose the high road this time. “It bugs me that two women of the same ilk, women of color, have to be pitted against each other. That’s something I always felt back then.”
After facing her mistakes, Naomi was ready to heal another relationship. “I was very happy when they asked me to shoot the Burberry Christmas campaign, and even more so when they asked me to shoot it with my mom. I will be eternally grateful to my mother. She went through a lot to raise a child on her own.”
Then Naomi embraced a new role. “Naomi Campbell is now a mother to a baby girl. It’s been the biggest blessing of my life, the best thing I’ve ever done. It’s amazing.”
She remains an icon, likely because she took the time to take accountability for her actions. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I can own them. It’s not about me. My daughter is the best. I live for her, and she comes first.”
