'America's Next Top Model' Winner Adrianne Curry Declines Netflix Docuseries, Criticizes 'Woke Lens' Analysis

Adrianne Curry, the winner of season one of America's Next Top Model in 2003, announced on January 26, 2026, that she declined an invitation to appear in Netflix's three-part docuseries Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model. In a post on X, Curry stated, "I am deeply grateful I won the first season of top model. I think people psychoanalyzing it over 20 years later with a woke lens is absurd."

Curry further explained her decision, writing, "I don't trust people to not manipulate things I say for TV, so I decline everything. Also, the public is cult-like and cruel, so the last thing I want is a bunch of eyeballs on me. I hope the other girls do not have their words twisted in their Netflix show." Her comments came hours after Netflix released the trailer for the docuseries on January 26, 2026, which is scheduled to premiere on February 16, 2026.

The docuseries promises to unpack the inner workings of ANTM, which aired for 24 seasons and reached a global audience of over 100 million at its peak. It features interviews with host Tyra Banks, former judges J. Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker, former executive producer Ken Mok, and contestants including winners Whitney Thompson and Dani Evans, as well as Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, and Keenyah Hill. In the trailer, Banks reflects on the show's intensity, stating, "It was very, very intense. But you guys were demanding it. So we kept pushing it, more and more and more," and confesses, "I knew I went too far."

Curry's remarks align with her past criticisms of the show, particularly regarding a makeover episode during her season. In a November 2025 Instagram video, she claimed the weave installed at Banks' insistence caused permanent scalp damage, leaving her "partially bald" in two spots. She recounted Black stylists warning Banks that her hair was "too fragile," but Banks reportedly insisted, telling them to "just do it." The Independent contacted Banks' representatives for comment at the time, but no response was noted in available coverage.

In response to a fan suggesting the docuseries aims to make Banks look "better than she deserves," Curry agreed, calling it a "cover up fest" and expressing worry for participants from her season: "I feel the same way…I worry about the girls from my season who agreed to do it. Let em weave their webs." ANTM has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years over its production practices, including makeovers and challenges that some former contestants say caused lasting harm.

While direct LGBTQ+ community responses to Curry's latest statements remain limited in initial coverage, ANTM's history includes notable plus-size winner Whitney Thompson in season 10 and discussions of body diversity that resonated with broader inclusivity efforts in modeling. The show's elimination-style format often highlighted physical transformations, sparking ongoing debates about industry standards for transgender people, people of color, and others in fashion. No official statements from LGBTQ+ advocacy groups like GLAAD on this specific docuseries or Curry's comments were found in cross-referenced sources as of January 27, 2026. Curry's decision underscores tensions between retrospective critiques of early 2000s reality TV and participants' desires for privacy.