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Whitney Thompson, the winner of cycle 10 of America’s Next Top Model in 2008, has revealed that her time on the show was far from enjoyable.
In a recent interview with People, published on Friday, February 13, Thompson, now 38, shared the challenges she faced as a plus-size model on the popular series, including the lack of properly fitting clothes.
“I tried to act like it didn’t affect me,” she confessed. “But secretly, I would cry in the shower every day because it was the only place free from the cameras, my sanctuary to let out my frustrations and think, ‘Why is this happening to me?’” Thompson continued, “I knew they wanted a reaction, but I stayed calm, saying, ‘It’s alright. We’ll just tape up the dress. No problem.’”
Thompson delves deeper into her experiences in the new documentary, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, set to premiere on Netflix on February 16.
In the film, she recounts, “On set, there were never clothes that fit me properly,” she stated, as reported by People. “They often had to cut and clamp outfits to make them work. It was humiliating, making me feel inadequate for not fitting the standard sizes.”
Thompson also shared in the documentary that when a model spoke up, she faced consequences.
“But there was a model named Toccara who was on previously, and she went to set, they didn’t have clothes that fit her, and she kind of, you know, let them know how she felt about that. And she got cut that week,” Thompson remarked, per People. “They could easily have gotten clothes that were my size, but that was a choice that they made, and I dealt with that as well as I could because if they see weakness, you’re gone.”
According to Netflix, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model features interviews with the show’s creator and host Tyra Banks, producer Ken Mok, former judges Jay Manuel, J. Alexander (aka Miss J), and Nigel Barker. In addition to Thompson, past contestants Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, and Keenyah Hill also appear in the doc.