Miss J Reveals ANTM Regret, GoFundMe Launched For Recovery
The tea around America's Next Top Model is still very hot, and thanks to Netflix's latest documentaries, it's playing out in ways fans didn't expect.
Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model has reopened old wounds and now sheds light on a deeply personal and painful chapter in the life of one of the franchise's most beloved figures: Miss J Alexander.
As we previously reported, Miss J recently revealed that Tyra Banksthe face and force behind ANTM, hasn't visited him since he suffered a life-threatening stroke in 2022. Yes, she has “reach,” but according to Miss J, that reach never turned into an actual visit. The news came straight from the source as Miss J stared into the camera on Sherri Shepherd's daytime talk show, letting the silence speak louder than words.
Miss J shared that when the stroke first happened, Tyra told him she was “in LA” and expressed her concern, but she never came through. Meanwhile, other industry heavyweights appeared in real life. Miss J confirmed that Angela Bassett, Alfre Woodard, George Lopez, and more friends made the effort to see him as he continues his recovery journey. “You don't have it,” he said clearly.
As if witnessing Miss J's health struggles wasn't heartbreaking enough, news soon followed that he now needs public support to cover the costs of recovery. His close friend and talent manager, Steven Grossman, has launched a GoFundMe to help with ongoing treatment, specialized care, rehabilitation services and daily living support. The goal is $100,000.
To put things into perspective, Miss J suffered a stroke in 2022 that left him in a coma for five months. When he woke up, he couldn't walk or talk. He then spent almost a year and a half in a rehabilitation center, enduring additional mini-strokes, seizures, and four more hospitalizations along the way.
Stay on the topic of money, Miss J said recently PEOPLE that one of his biggest regrets from his time America's Next Top Model (where he coached from 2003 to 2012) is not asking for “more money.” The track coach was 18 bikes at the show. He coached the models on perfecting their runways and sometimes gave scathing criticism of their performances. After helping shape generations of models and becoming a cultural icon in the process, that realization hits especially hard now.
Although his delivery and criticism may feel tough by today's standards and audience, J noted that his feedback was always meant “with love.”
Today, Miss J says he is “healing and coping.” His routine includes physical and occupational therapy twice a week, watching TV, doing word searches, and streaming old and new fashion shows online.
With the ANTM docuseries peeling back layers and Miss J's story now front and center, one thing is clear: the legacy of America's Next Top Model is complicated, and the human cost behind fashion is finally getting the attention it deserves.
Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model now streaming on Netflix.
