Yaya DaCosta may be best known as ER nurse April Sexton from long-running NBC series “Chicago Med,” having starred on the show for the first six seasons, but she kicked off her career by almost winning Cycle 3 of “America’s Next Top Model” in 2004.

After placing second on the show helmed by supermodel Tyra Banks, DaCosta turned her attention to acting, eventually landing her career-defining role on “Chicago Med” in 2015. As April, the actress was integral to the medical team at the fictional Gaffney Chicago Medical Center emergency department, where she dated Dr. Ethan Choi (Brian Tee).

After departing “Chicago Med” at the end of Season 6, DaCosta briefly returned in Season 8 in order for April and Ethan to rekindle their romance and finally get married. Since 2021, DaCosta starred on the short-lived TV series “Our Kind of People” and Netflix’s “The Lincoln Lawyer,” and only recently started referencing her time on “America’s Next Top Model,” which she had shied away from for nearly 20 years.

In 2004, Yaya DaCosta was the runner-up on Cycle 3 of “America’s Next Top Model,” losing the top prize to Eva Pigford (now known as Eva Marcille). During DaCosta’s time on “ANTM,” she rose to the top with her near-perfect performance on the show when it came to the competitions and challenges, but also stood out for her unapologetic arrogance and how critical the judges were about her embracing her African heritage. The only time she landed in the bottom two in danger of being sent home was when she spat out food during a mock commercial shoot, but was saved due to her otherwise flawless record.

Despite losing the big prize — which included a modeling contract, being on the cover of Elle Magazine, and a contract with CoverGirl — DaCosta used the exposure to launch her acting career, which included roles on “All My Children” and “Ugly Betty” when she was just starting out before scoring her big role on “Chicago Med.”

Until recently, Yaya DaCosta would avoid speaking publicly about her time on “America’s Next Top Model,” although when she did, she often alluded to it being a negative experience.

In 2022, DaCosta posted videos on Instagram calling out the show for “ignorance” toward certain ethnicities, among other things. These posts, plus the small breadcrumbs she had dropped during interviews with the press in the years prior, led fans to speculate that she was unhappy with her time on “ANTM” and had beef with Banks.

But in 2025, DaCosta publicly admitted that she had largely rebuffed her time on the high-profile reality competition in order to be taken seriously as an actor. She also said that she and Banks had reconnected and made peace with the past when they ran into each other at an awards show. Then, DaCosta made it clear that she once again plans to stop talking publicly about her time on “America’s Next Top Model.”