Over 15 years have passed since Tyra Banks screamed at Tiffany Richardson during an America's Next Top Model cycle 4 elimination, and the former contestant has finally explained what really went on during the scene. Tiffany originally appeared on cycle 3 of the modeling competition show but got into a bar fight and never made it into the model house. However, she didn't give up on her dreams of becoming a model and returned to the reality show the following season. The star claimed that she was no longer the person she was when she fought at the bar and seemed ready to be taken seriously on ANTM this time around.
However, Tiffany's motivation for the competition began decreasing, and she was sent home in a double elimination in episode 7, along with Rebecca Epley. After elimination, Tiffany went over to say goodbye to her former competitors, who all seemed sad to see her go. Tiffany kept a positive attitude and instead joked around with her housemates so they wouldn't be so upset that she had been eliminated. Tyra was not happy with Tiffany's nonchalant reaction and infamously screamed at her in front of the other models and judges because she didn't think she had taken the competition seriously enough. Tyra's most famous words from her rant were, "I was rooting for you, we were all rooting for you, how dare you."
It's been 17 years since Tyra's ANTM outburst, and Tiffany finally got the chance to explain what really happened during her elimination. In an interview with YouTuber and ANTM fan Oliver TwiXt, Tiffany explained the infamous elimination scene, revealing she believes Tyra's meltdown was all for the show. The model shared that Tyra had been already complaining that she wasn't in a good mood that day, so Tiffany's reaction to being eliminated was the last straw. The contestant also shared that she cried in every episode of ANTM, and by the time she was eliminated, she was tired of crying so much that she chose a different response. "I think that bothered her," Tiffany confessed.
The star elaborated that she didn't want to beg to stay on the show, so she instead accepted that she'd been eliminated and planned to leave with grace. "That's when she had her little moment," Tiffany said. According to the model, there were about thirty people on the set waiting to see if she would cause a physical altercation with Tyra, but she knew better than to start a fight. Another moment that didn't make the show was Tyra telling Tiffany, "you can go home and sleep on your mattress with your baby." The contestant was open with the ANTM judges about her financial state and young son back at home. Tiffany also shared there was a lot more she said to Tyra upon leaving that did not make the final cut of the episode.
In recent years many controversial ANTM moments have resurfaced online, prompting many questions about Tyra's treatment of the models. In retrospect, it's no surprise that Tyra disrespected Tiffany during elimination. Though it would have been great to see the model defend herself in the episode, not everything can make it into the final cut. The cycle 4 scene has certainly gone down in ANTM history and will not soon be forgotten by fans who watched it all go down in real time back in 2005.
Source: Oliver TwiXt/YouTube