ExtraTV.com | Tyra Banks Strikes Back at Fat Tabloid Pics

Tyra Banks Strikes Back at Fat Tabloid Pics

Posted by ExtraTV Staff on January 31, 2007 1:25 PM

She’s a model, producer and talk show host extraordinaire, but in recent days, Tyra’s war against the paparazzi has become TV’s hottest topic.

In light of the recent controversy, Tyra welcomed “Extra” to the set of her hit show to talk about the now infamous photo that launched a thousand tabloid headlines, all of which targeted Tyra’s weight.

“My whole life has been about weight,” Tyra admitted to “Extra’s” Tanika Ray. “These pictures were so celebrated, and they were saying such awful things, I was like, ‘I’ve got to say something.’”

As “Extra” sat down with Tyra, she also recalled the intense pressure to get runway thin, crash dieting to fit the perfect mold.

“At times I felt the pressure and tried to diet and all that,” she admitted. “But it just wasn’t for me.”

Now officially retired from the runway, Tyra is finally content with her current weight of 161 pounds.

“I know how to lose weight,” Tyra insisted. “I know how to be 130 pounds. I know how to be 120 pounds.”

When Tyra is eating to lose weight, she opts for a light breakfast, protein or salad for lunch and fish for dinner.

But when she’s treating her taste buds, she enjoys an IHOP breakfast, a burger or pizza for lunch and steak and some sort of sweet come dinnertime.

Now the woman who once rocked some of the most risqué outfits on the catwalk is preparing to wear her riskiest ever this Thursday, as she’ll model the exact same swimsuit the paparazzi snapped her wearing in Australia.

“It is so sad I have to go to this extreme, but I'm doing it to prove a point,” Tyra said. “It's just me walking out here with these lights and the audience sees my booty, and that was very vulnerable for me to come out and compare myself to the photo.”

Tyra also confessed to spending several sleepless nights worrying about this big show reveal, confessing, “I care about the response, I have to. I don’t obsess about it, but I care about it.”

The reason she cares? Because of the affect negative criticism might have on some of her vulnerable young fans who see Tyra as their role model.

“Young girls talking about how much they hate themselves, and how much when they look at me, they feel more beautiful because I'm curvy, and it's okay,” Tyra insisted.

See Tyra proudly baring all of her curves on Thursday’s “The Tyra Banks Show.”

Click on an image to view the Tyra Banks photo gallery!

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Comments (49)

On 26 Jan 2008, Brittany Hamilton wrote:

Leave tyra only all u haters she rocks

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On 3 Dec 2007, marlane wrote:

tyra, who died and made you the standard? i saw the ugly makeover of you on your show. if you want to pick people’s looks apart, look in the mirror and see your frankenstein forehead’

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On 15 Nov 2007, Khadijah Andrews wrote:

it dosent matter if u are fat or not Tyra u is still pretty and a wonderful person.

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On 13 Nov 2007, Nicoline Schoonraad wrote:

Dear who ever wants to read this:
I consider myself one of Tyra’s biggest fans! I just love her show and is so angry to hear some people say negative things about her, she is just human like the rest of us and we all make mistakes in our lifes. I use to watch her show every day but now that im a working mom i dont get the time to watch her show, my working hours are just to much… I take my hat off for her coz she is awesome and i just love her! It would be a great honour to meet her someday if not now maybe in our next life, but she is one person i would never forget.
Your biggest fan: Nicoline

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On 12 Nov 2007, peris ratemo wrote:

hi i hope you are fine. i love your show back in keny.

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On 5 Nov 2007, cal newell wrote:

What a shame,disappointing, and low,for a beautiful (on the outside) Tyra to stoop so low to embarass women on t.v. for the sake of what? Ratings? A few more bucks? You must be out of touch with ‘real’ life,and real women. Seek help. This type of crap makes you ugly,not beautiful. cal

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On 22 Oct 2007, LOLA wrote:

U ROCK TYRA! U are not fat! U are just a little bigger than before but oh well! We should not judge u 4 that! U are a true romodle!

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On 2 Sep 2007, Sherita wrote:

TYRA WELL I JUST DON’T WHAT TO SAY ALL I CAN SAY IS DO WHAT YOU DO AND EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED !!!!!!

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On 28 Aug 2007, RUTH wrote:

I THINK SHE IS DOING A WONDERFUL JOB HELPING WOMEN BUILD THEIR SELF ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE, HOWEVER, ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, WITHOUT BEING A GUEST ON HER SHOW, HOW DOES ONE SEEK OR GAIN ADVISE ON OTHER PRESSING MATTERS?

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On 14 Aug 2007, Anonymous wrote:

I so can’t believe u ppl who go on abt how tyra’s isecure abt being fat. Did it ever occur to u guys that everyone is comfortable with their weight up to the point where they want it to be? Tyra doesn’t want to b fat doesn’t make her less of a role model. She doesn’t have to get fat to prove that it’s ok to be fat. She says, if u’r ok with the way u r then be happy n not to let ppl like u bring u down. She’s a beautiful person with her own physical as well as character flaws. Let’s c how y’all wld perform if u were in her shoes. Great job Tyra.

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On 26 Jul 2007, Amber K wrote:

No doubt, I think what Tyra is doing is pretty amazing. And it must of been really hard on her hearing other peoples disgusting comments on her weight. I dont know what I would of done if I were in her shoes.

I for one think she is goregous, and not in anyway fat.

But reality check, just because she is saying that its ok to be fat, its ok to have fat thighs rub togehter while you walk, its ok to be overweight. It doesnt make the world a better place. You still have all those guys out there, all those paperthin girls saying “Omgosh I would never date her/him, she/he is so fat!” You still have people making fun over stupid stretch marks. And you hear rude comments like “Maybe you should eat a tweenki it’d make you feel better”, all those fat your mama jokes. So saying does nothing. Sure it may make people feel ok about there bodies for awhile, but when people make fun there just gonna feel even worse.

I for one feel alittle better about my body now that I’ve heard, and read some of peoples comments about this topic. But Im a shy girl, and i hate my body, so nothing I hear is going to make me be like “Im chubby but my butt is gigantic! So What!?” Cuz no matter what anyone says does not change the worlds opinion! Sure might make people be like “Oh im going to like some fat people now that Tyra says its ok to be fat”

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On 18 Jul 2007, Nicole wrote:

I think what Tyra did was awesome!! And to 110 April, I am a heavy girl and you are so right, I am one of those girls that is saying, YOU GO GIRL!!!! We of all shape, size, color or whatever, should be proud of what and who we are, you make me think that you are not proud of what you look like! Tyra, keep up the good work, and me, myself being a BLACK WOMAN, you make me so proud to say SO WHAT!!!

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On 24 Jun 2007, kelly wrote:

OMG OMG OMG!! TYRA IS NOT FAT BUT SHE MAKES ME MAD..

APPARANTLY TYRA MADE A SEX TAPE WITH THIS ITALIAN BASKETBALL PLAYER IN 2005-2006?? I CANNOT BELEIVE THIS!!

SHE MAKES GIRLS POSE NUDE ON TOP MODEL AND SHE DOESN’T EVEN. HER MOM WOULDN’T LET HER BUT THE GIRLS SAID THEIR PARENTS WOULDN;T LIKE IT AND THEY GET ELMINATED.!! THAT’S NOT FAIR!

I DO NOT LIKE TYRA ANYMORE

SHE LIKE MADE A SEX TAPE?? DO I STILL LOOK UP TO HER??

CHECK OUT t-banks.com for TYRA UPDATES ITS A FAN SITE WHERE YOU CAN BLOG TOO

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On 20 Jun 2007, Akua wrote:

It’s amazing that after all that hype on her show about “It’s okay to be fat, but I’m not fat on my pictures, but it’s okay though…all the contradictory crap she spewed, that I just saw her on the cover of a magazine a few weeks ago where she has lost about 20lbs. Hmmmm what happened to “It’s okay to be “big” and if my self asteem was low I would be on a diet right now” Seems to me that being a little bigger does seem to bother her. What message is she sending to her young fans now. “It’s okay to be “big” as long as other people don’t tell you your big but then once they do, act like it doesn’t matter tell people to kiss your fat a@@ and than lose the weight and take pictures so people can say you look good again. Man…she is really nuts. And that SI swimsuit issue thing…what crap!!! That further let us know just how “insecure” she is about being “big”. And to mock Black History Month with it…my goodness.

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On 11 Jun 2007, sallie davis wrote:

Hi tyra my name is sallie davis am am seriously over weight 445pounds, i’ve try every diets, exercise etc., Please can you help me incan’t walk because my leg have lymerdarma big bbogges of fat rubbing together, aways tried. hard to breath, i have chf, high blood. depression. please trya help me. GOD bless you@ your show! Thanks Sallie Davis

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On 6 May 2007, tina shedrick wrote:

I think tyra is a very beautiful person no matter what size she is. She’s beautiful from the inside out, that’s what is wrong with the world always worrying about how people look on the outside. Tyra keep up the good work honey, I love you and I am a big fan of yours.

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On 6 May 2007, tina shedrick wrote:

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On 29 Apr 2007, unique allah wrote:

peace black woman, upon you receiving this brief notation of communication, i trust that it capture you in the best of good spirit, thus maintaining yourself mentally as well as physically.as for the true and living god in the flesh, i be all wise and civilize in the fullest of supreme education, and i honestly apply this knowledge to help the babies and with that said i say peace. now to move on to the topic i was imform by a brother of mines whos currently serving, has been incarcerated for the past tweenty seven years, i guess he seen one of your shows and was very inspire by the informal imformation that pertain to prisoner, basicaly i am just a message of the god. i am sending you his adresse so perhaps you can forward him the imformation. his name and or addresse is kevin dixon # 82-B-1837 hudson corectional facility p.o box 576, hudson new york 12534-0576.

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On 26 Apr 2007, Kerry Ann Murphy wrote:

I can’t beleive you people have the NERVE to ridicule one of the MOST beautiful woman in the world with a picture!! Come on!! She is gorgeous,and always will be so all you jelous LOSERS, get a life EXSPECIALLY APRIL 110 pouds PROUD!! Probably living in a trailer in Alabama!! I weigh 187 and look good!! I’m a curvy woman, with breasts and a booty!! So all you obviously jelous people get over yourself, HEY April what does your face look like???? i can only imagine!! Tryra knows, i know. Im pretty, you are the one that’s INSECURE!! You make these girls think they need to weigh 100 pounds, and it’s SICK!! YOU GO TRYRA!! You are a beautiful volupous, woman and keep up the good work!!

Kerry Ann

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On 4 Mar 2007, Brittany wrote:

Tyra Banks is such a wonderful insperation to me and as well as many other young teens.She always has a touching show that means so much. She trys to help young girls with self esteem issues.She founded the Tzone foundation in 1999, which is a non-profit organization that helps young disadvantaged girls.She spends about 1 week with them in the summer in California.She says to these young girls that ” What I tell the girls is that all the insecruities we have, we can’t let those defeat us.We’ve got to keep on keepin’ on”. Tyra is such a great role model to me, and many other differen’t types of people. She trys to reach out to people and tell them it is o.k just the way you are.Don’t change yourself just because others want you to. What I love about Tyra is that she is so honest. I think you all remember the time when people were calling Tyra”Tyra porkchops”,and “America’s Next Top Model”,??She had the guts to come out on national television and tell the truth about her weight.One thing Tyra if you even get this you are NOT FAT! You are so gorgeous.Many people would die to have that body.It is perfectly natural to be 161 pounds and 5”10.Don’t listen to the media.Tyra says to people magazine that”With all the self-esteem my mom instilled in me,[The Criticism] still hurts”. Tyra has so many people that love her and espically her fans.We will all love you for who you are and not what you look like.What I see is a wonderful caring person, and who is beautiful in the inside and out.Tyra also says that the media is so obsessed with celebrities gaining and losing weight.She trys to encourage women that you do not have to be stick thin to be pretty or model. Tyra has a huge show that has expanded in the popularity of teens called “America’s Next Top Model”. For this season of cycle 8 she has decided to have two plus size models on the show. I think this is so great of Tyra.She is trying to address the issue with models who think they are healthy but really they are putting their life in danger and almost dying.Tyra also has a show called “The Tyra Banks Show” and her goal is to empower women all over the world.I think Tyra is certainly making a differnce. She always is so caring towards people, and she makes peoples dreams come true even if they thought it was impossible the reach. I love you Tyra and you are NOT FAT!!! Do not listen to the talboids..Tyra you are GORGEOUS!! I made a site for Tyra it is.. http://www.tyrabanks15.piczo.com/