Tyra Banks Sued By Former America's Next Top Model Contestant

Smizing isn’t going to solve this problem.

According to the Associated Press, a former America’s Next Top Model contestant filed a $3 million lawsuit against host and supermodel Tyra Banks, alleging the show shut her out of the top prize because she once worked as an escort.

Angelea Preston filed the suit in Los Angeles on Wednesday, alleging breach-of-contract. For those who don’t remember Preston (or for those who only remember ANTM episodes as a blur of hazy Pinot Grigio memories that are mostly about Miss Jay’s rants about bad catwalk attempts) here’s a refresher.

Preston was originally a contestant in Cycle 12 but was eliminated. The show brought her back for Cycle 14, where she was again eliminated before the finale. Then the show brought her back a third time, for Cycle 17’s All Stars episode. She made the final three, but at panel she was mysteriously “disqualified” (see the segment in the video below). Preston said she was chosen as the winner, but after the show disqualified her they re-shot the finale and chose another winner. Via Sire Says:

“…The assumption is correct. I did indeed win Cycle 17. Listen honey, I’m trying to write a book about my whole life and that part of my life is definitely, I mean my life is already interesting even before Top Model, I guess if you want to say, made me who I am or gave me my platform but, I guess that’s the part everybody wants to know. They want to know the real story. No I did not blab on Facebook or Twitter…”

[…]

“What I will say about them taking it away from me, and I’ll keep it at that, until of course I get everything situated with a book deal, so I’ll throw that it in the air. Basically, the reason it was taken away from me is hypocrisy…

Preston is now suing, claiming the show should have awarded her the original prize package the winner was promised. Via the Associated Press:

[The lawsuit] names Banks, who is the show’s executive producer, and The CW network. The lawsuit says Preston won the show’s Cycle 17 in 2011 and was entitled to a package that included a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics and a magazine fashion spread. Preston says she was wrongly disqualified because she had worked as an escort before taking part in the show.Messages to an attorney and a manager for Banks weren’t immediately returned.