Reality TV, Consent, and Accountability: Learning From America’s Next Top Model

“To be on a TV set in front of so many people and not be protected? That’s some pretty dark stuff.”-Keenyah Hill, America’s Next Top Model cycle 4 (2005) contestant

Note to readers: Some of the events detailed in this article are disturbing and difficult, but we felt it was important to name the harms that were done so that we can reckon with the past and learn from it to shape our future. We encourage readers to take care of themselves and honor their limits while processing this information. Whether it’s a reality star or an everyday person, we stand with survivors, affirm their experiences, support them in telling their story on their terms, and hope to see future reality series continue these conversations to make their sets safer.

When we look back at past decades, we often turn to the entertainment popular at the time. Media that captures mass public attention reflects the cultural perspectives and values of the era. Reality TV is a unique form of entertainment that blurs real life and storytelling, putting the audience in the position of judging a person’s worth in public life. These programs both reflect and can shape American cultural values, inviting viewers to judge real people without feeling personal stakes. However, reality TV is not real. The cast members are real, but these shows rely on story producers and editors to shape footage to deliver the narrative they think will be most interesting and/or attention-grabbing for viewers. In other words, these events are real to the stars but delivered to viewers with an agenda set by producers and studio executives whose goals are to entertain and captivate audiences.

Reality shows as we know them today, particularly reality competition shows, were in their infancy in the early 2000s. Shows like The Real World gave viewers an unprecedented, fly-on-the-wall perspective of strangers living together for our entertainment. Survivor and Fear Factor showed the extreme lengths contestants would go for awards and recognition on a national stage. The popularity of these shows grew rapidly, as did the variety of shows being created, and the pressure for unscripted television to be shocking, surprising, and controversial quickly became perceived as a new normal with little attention to the impact made directly on contestants and society-at-large. 

It was in this era that we got America’s Next Top Model, a show which promised to give its audience a never-before-seen look at the trials, struggles, and triumphs on the journey into the modeling industry. This show was hugely popular when it aired, but in recent years, TV watchers have revisited the series with greater awareness of how appalling the challenges, conversations, and stories within the show were. Although viewed at the time as standard fare for reality TV, when revisited in the cultural context of today it is clear that the show compromised contestant safety, was racially insensitive, enabled disordered eating, was psychologically destructive to its stars, and sent harmful messages to its audience, composed largely of impressionable young women. Netflix’s 2026 docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, reexamined America’s Next Top Model and its legacy by revisiting a few of its most harmful moments, including situations where sexual harassment, assault, and coercion were framed as entertainment. In this blog, we will be taking a detailed look at situations where sexual harassment and abuse occurred during America’s Next Top Model, with the goal of seeing what this says about the era in which it was made, how reality TV has and has not evolved since then, and what it will take for the medium to establish safety and respect as the standard of the future. We do not take lightly that it can be very retraumatizing for survivors to not have control of where and how the details of their story are discussed. It is our goal that the information within this blog is shared to affirm these survivors’ experiences, which weren’t depicted accurately when initially aired, and promote change rooted in safety. 

Normalizing Workplace Sexual Misconduct

Cycle 4 (2005) contestant Keenyah Hill was competing in a photoshoot competition in which several men in loincloths were dancing around her. One of the male models, Hill described in Reality Check, was “very aggressively hitting on [her]” and “taking advantage of the moment to touch [her].” She stopped the shoot and notified the crew about his inappropriate behavior. Her interruption of the shoot was treated as an inconvenience; she was reprimanded, and the model continued his misbehavior in front of everyone without consequence. Later, while Hill’s photos were being assessed by the judge panel, Tyra Banks made comments that suggested Hill was responsible for resolving someone else’s poor behavior. Banks suggested to Hill to say in that situation, “With [her] feminine wiles, ‘Boy you best back up before I knock you upside the head.’ But you do it in a fun way where he knows to back the heck up but it doesn’t put static in the air because then it makes you uncomfortable.” This “advice” makes the victim responsible for managing their tone when confronting a harasser rather than the workplace for not promptly and appropriately responding to a real-time complaint of workplace sexual harassment. Today, such disregard and victim-blaming would be recognized as a toxic work environment. 

Reflecting on this situation, Banks apologized and said the following in Reality Check: “I thought I was empowering her based on the information that I had, but it should’ve been stomped down, and that’s what would happen today. We now all understand the protections that women need. None of us knew. Executives didn’t know, and I did the best I could at that time, but she deserved more, she did.”

Two things can be true at once.

1. 1. Rape culture, attitudes and beliefs that excuse sexual assault or blame the victim, was highly normalized in the 2000s (and still is). This is particularly true of the modeling industry, and models like Banks were compelled to adopt this victim-blaming mentality or risk exclusion from the field entirely. Those who are taught harmful perspectives often repeat them and perpetuate the cycle, which is why education is an important part of prevention.

1. 1. People in positions of power have a responsibility to ensure protections for employees at every level. Mishandling reports of workplace sexual misconduct has always been unacceptable. Leaders should acknowledge harm and implement policy-level changes to ensure such events never happen again. If changes are not made at a structural level, true accountability is not possible.

Normalizing When Alcohol is Weaponized

Perhaps the most disturbing situation in Reality Check was hearing cycle 2 (2004) contestant Shandi Sullivan describe her experience of violation and the misrepresentation of it. In her season, male models joined her and the other contestants in a photoshoot. Afterwards, the show depicts a contestant inviting these male models over to their place for a night of drinking. Intimate interactions, the show argued, were an expected inevitability and a consequence of girls-gone-wild partying. “These girls, self-included, have been like monkeys in a cage,” one contestant joked. “You drop big bananas inside…of course they’re going to tear the peels off!”

The episode follows Sullivan and the male model moving out of the jacuzzi and kissing in bed, depicting the event as a cheating scandal. The next morning, she wakes up sobbing. Sullivan, who had a long-term boyfriend at the time, was the subject of speculation and judgment from other contestants who were interviewed about Sullivan’s interactions with one of the male models. All of them noted that her behavior was uncharacteristic, but none of them made the connection that her judgment and capacity to consent were impaired.

Everyone interviewed on screen cast judgment on Sullivan. “Now that the blood is starting to return to the brain, and the wine is starting to drain, she’s realizing that what she did was extremely hurtful,” said one contestant.

During this episode, she immediately resorts to self-blame, despite acknowledging her lack of control. “I just couldn’t control myself. Like, I really couldn’t. He was there, and I had all this tension, and I let it go. I just let it happen.” Sex isn’t something a person just “lets happen” or allows. It must involve fully-aware, mutually respectful, open communication about what all involved parties actively want to happen. Over-intoxication compromises a person’s ability to give authentic consent. 

In Reality Check, Sullivan provides a fuller picture of what transpired that night. “I was hammered. I think I had two bottles of wine by myself. I remember being in the shower, then just sitting in the shower, and then we were in the bed. I was blacked out for a lot of it. I didn’t even feel sex happening. I just knew it was happening. Then I passed out.” Not only was she so drunk she couldn’t consent, but the sexual interaction was filmed by a production team that did not intervene. The next day, while Sullivan was crying and saying that she wanted to die, show producers continued filming as usual. In the days that followed — during which she, like many people after a traumatic sexual experience, did not fully recognize the degree of sexual harm she went through — Sullivan was compelled by producers to call the male model on camera to ask him about STDs and if he was wearing protection (which ultimately did not air), participate in a nude photoshoot in front of a crew of men, and confess her “cheating” to her boyfriend.

The phone call to her boyfriend was filmed and aired, which involved her sobbing and him blaming her and calling her a “bitch.” She continued to blame herself. 

Later in the America’s Next Top Model episode, Sullivan asked Banks about cheating. Banks responded, “I’m not judging you, but I think that we have to fight against our carnal desires and sometimes they slip, but I don’t see it as the end of the world. I understand that people become attracted to other people, you know, in the moment. It’s all about your relationship, how open your relationship is, and how honest you can be with one another.” When Banks asked Sullivan how her boyfriend reacted and she relayed that he called her a “stupid bitch” and that he hated her, Banks said, “That’s just normal, he loves you.” Sullivan, and by consequence the show, cast Banks as a moral authority. “You know that when Tyra is telling you something,” Sullivan said, “that it’s truly coming from, like, her heart.” In this one scene, the show framed verbal abuse as normal and minimized her traumatic sexual experience as a “mistake.” The season finale recap summed up this storyline as a “careless fling.”

A few years after her season, Banks brought several America’s Next Top Model contestants onto her talk show. Sullivan specifically requested to not view those scenes, which she had actively chosen to avoid when her season was first airing. They showed it anyway, with a close-up of her reaction. “Telling somebody to their face, ‘These are my boundaries,’ and then seeing clips not even minutes later?” Sullivan remarked to Rolling Stone. “It says, ‘I don’t respect you, I don’t care about your boundaries. All I care about is my show.’”

Sullivan still resents that no one intervened that night or supported her afterwards. The pain of her treatment during the show, and the added trauma of slut-shaming she experienced when the show was airing, dramatically impacted her life and inspired a lot of self-hatred. “I just started crying. Even thinking about it now makes me want to cry, and I mean, it’s 20 years later,” said Sullivan. “I hadn’t spoken about it in depth in a really long time because of the emotion,” she confessed. “My body still feels that trauma. My skin crawls when I talk about it. But when I talked to the director of the documentary, I could tell that she understood that I just needed to talk about it. I just had to purge it.” 

Banks, who was the creator and executive producer of the show, deflected responsibility in Reality Check by claiming that it was production’s territory. Her co-executive producer and head of story, Ken Mok, also issued no apology. They both credit themselves for all of the footage they didn’t air, but do not acknowledge wrongdoing for what they did air on national television nor apologize to Sullivan for what she went through or the narrative they used to tell her story. There is also no acknowledgement that production facilitated the male model attendance and provided alcohol without limits.

Evolution of Reality TV and Gender-Based Violence

America’s Next Top Model is just one chapter in a larger story about how gender-based violence is processed and perceived in the reality TV landscape. In some ways, it has made remarkable progress. In others, significant gaps remain. Below are some notable reality TV moments that speak to where we’ve been since America’s Next Top Model and where we still need to go.

Bachelor in Paradise – Season 4 (2017)

In this Bachelor spinoff show of contestants from both The Bachelor and The Bachelorette looking for love on a beach, contestants Corinne Olympios and DeMario Jackson were filmed engaging in sexual activity after a night of drinking. No one intervened, but production suspended the whole show to investigate whether Olympios was too drunk to consent after staff flagged the incident. Olympios and Jackson were named in the reporting, opening up public scrutiny while internal investigations were ongoing. Olympios later clarified that the mix of her medication and alcohol made her “mentally checked out” but that there was “no way” for anyone to know that. She did not blame Jackson, and both have since publicly described the interaction as consensual. 

While we appreciate that the matter was taken seriously, this situation highlights the importance of survivor agency. Production should notify participants when concerns are raised, giving survivors and suspected survivors the power to decide if, when, and how incidents are investigated and reported. They should also have the option to handle these matters privately, so they aren’t subjected to the added stress of public scrutiny on such sensitive experiences.

The show also instituted a two-drink rule after this to prevent over-intoxication, which is a positive protective measure, particularly in a beach environment where contestants can become dehydrated more easily.

Survivor – Season 39 (2019)

Survivor contestant Dan Spilo was repeatedly reported by fellow contestants for inappropriate touching. He remained on the show until he touched a member of production. His ejection was the first time in the show’s history that a cast member was eliminated for sexual misconduct. The first complaint was issued during the first episode, Spilo wasn’t reprimanded by production until 22 days into the show, and he was ultimately removed 14 days after that due to additional incidents. Removal was appropriate, but the long-standing tolerance of his misbehavior reflects a systemic failure. 

Below Deck: Down Under – Season 2 (2023)

Below Deck: Down Under cast member Margot Sisson was intoxicated and sleeping in her bed when a cast member, Bosun Luke Jones, entered her cabin naked and climbed into her bed. Production immediately intervened, removed him from the room, and fired him from the show. They also removed a cast member who discredited the experience. We welcome the swiftness in response, the validation of the seriousness of sexual misconduct, and the commitment of production to break neutrality when contestant safety is challenged. We would also recommend having a trigger warning attached to the beginning of episodes covering this subject matter so that viewers are knowingly engaging when the subject arises.

Traitors – Season 4 (2026)

Sometimes, controversy and wrongdoing can occur before filming even begins. Traitors cast former Bachelor Colton Underwood in their fourth season. Underwood is infamous for dating and then harassing one of the contestants on his season, Cassie Randolph. Randolph filed a restraining order against him for violations including stalking her and her parents’ homes, using an anonymous number to send harassing text messages, and installing a tracking device on her car. Many see his casting on this season as elevating someone who commits harm and minimizing the severity of his actions.

Where Do We Go From Here?

Reality TV is not going away anytime soon. However, just because the medium isn’t going away doesn’t mean it cannot change. The above examples show that, while there’s still room to grow, American culture and the systems that shape these shows have increased their awareness about sexual harassment and assault as well as survivor safety. Those with a history of perpetuating harm still have the opportunity to learn, modify their behavior, and work towards a safer future. It takes innovation, earnest commitment, humility, and substantive policy adjustment to make this evolution possible. Below are just some recommendations these shows might consider.

Create a Trauma-Informed Culture and Consult With Experts

A root cause of the mistakes made by America’s Next Top Model was a fundamental misunderstanding of trauma. Sexual assault prevention advocates have expertise and skills that can play a huge role in training staff, making safer sets, and provide consultation for trauma-informed storytelling to producers. The Hollywood Commission has done great work in these areas. A recent example we were heartened to see, in the realm of scripted television, was The Pitt’s show creators consulting with UCLA Health Rape Treatment Center and Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR) to give a realistic and accurate portrayal of a sexual assault forensic exam. These consultations are not just useful for fictionalized programming, but they can also help guide reality television shows as they strive to depict and discuss sexual harassment or abuse on their sets in a responsible way.

Understand How Alcohol is Weaponized

People who commit abuse are aware that alcohol impairs judgment, increases vulnerability, and can be misused to excuse inappropriate behavior. Show creators need to be aware that they are creating conditions for contestants to be in strange, stressful, new environments amongst people they largely don’t know well. Limiting alcohol, or having dry sets (where no alcohol is allowed), reduces the risk that people who commit abuse can use alcohol as a tool of harm and advances the safety of the group.

Improve Background Checks

All too often, casting announcements are followed by outcry from fans who have uncovered problematic or outright dangerous behavior from the stars in that lineup. Shows must begin reforming their processes to be more comprehensive so that toxic attitudes and actions are not promoted, minimized, or dismissed by a harm-doer’s presence on a show.

Provide 3rd Party Reporting Systems

Sexual harassment and assault are vastly underreported, and workplaces and other environments can take proactive steps by giving multiple options and methods for reporting. Contestants may observe or experience sexual misconduct but, due to their isolation or other constructed elements of a show’s premise, may have no one to report to but staff who have a personal stake in the success of the show. Providing 3rd party reporting systems allows for concerns to be adequately addressed and reports to be handled by those with expertise in this area.

America’s Next Top Model ended eight years ago, but its cultural impact remains. Reexamining the media that was popular when it aired helps us understand what was normalized, what was minimized, and what must change. We cannot rewrite the past, but our screens can still honor survivorship, demonstrate zero-tolerance for sexual harm, respect their stars, promote healthy messaging for their audience, and uphold safety standards for all.

Everyone loves a good story. Going forward, let’s make our stories reflect a culture we’ll be proud to look back on—rooted in mutual respect, trauma-informed care, and survivor dignity. 

The stories we elevate become the standards we live by. That is why this moment matters. At Respect Together, we are committed to building a culture where harm is not entertainment, where power is not protected over people, and where survivors are believed, valued, and safe. The next generation of viewers deserves stories that are rooted in mutual respect, trauma-informed care, and survivor dignity.