June 29, 2007

'Extra' Uncovers Tyra Banks, Before She was Famous!

Tyra Banks is a supermodel, a television producer and a talk show host, and she has accomplished more in her 33 years than most people do in a lifetime! So how did she do it?

“Extra” is turning back the clock to see just how she shot to the top!

It was back in 1994 when Tyra first let us into her life, where she showed us her down-to-earth charm and revealed her insecurities!

“My hands! They look like I'm 35, 40 years old. I'm only 20,” Tyra said.

And the list went on!

“When I smile, my top lip disappears,” she said. “My forehead can be a little bit big. My feet are too skinny; they don’t have arches. I’m knock-kneed. I have a whole list of things.”

We also discovered that not only was she a domestic diva, revealing that Chili powder was her “secret recipe” for great food, but that calorie-counting was definitely not her thing!

“I eat normal stuff,” she told us. “Tacos, burritos and barbeque ribs. And I try to work out to maintain my figure.”

And like the rest of us, she had to work the Stairmaster, lift some dumbbells and do some major crunches.

“It’s really important because my body is my product,” she explained. “So you have to have it in tip-top shape or you're unemployed.”

Clearly, unemployment was never a problem for Tyra!


NEXT:BREAKING NEWS! Britney Spears Serves Mother with a Letter from Lawyer
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Comments (8)

On 14 May 2008, Hillary wrote:

I think that Tyra should let us in more on life before fame, I mean, sure she talked about insecurities, but what about hobbies and favorite things, and make how fame changer her as a person?

 
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On 8 Apr 2008, Jenn wrote:

Jennifer Herzig-Deribin
113 Claremont Avenue
Montclair, NJ 07042

April 8, 2008


Tyra Banks Show
New York, N.Y. 100


Dear Ms. Banks:

I am sure you receive letter like this all the time. This letter is about my 12 soon to be 13 year old daughters, who believe the sun rises and sets for you. Here Birthday is April 27th; she will be having an American Top Model Birthday Party.

If I may take the time to give you some history on our family it may help persuade you in donating something for the party, which is the goal of this letter. When Victoria (Tori) was 2 , she and I where in a head on collision with a pick-u; truck. Unbelievable and blessedly she was unharmed for the most part, bumps and bruises.

I unfortunately was not as lucky, during her young life she has seen me in and wheelchair for 2 ½ years, have my ankle removed at the Hospital for Special Surgery, in hopes of prolonging the amputation of my right leg.

While the experiment proceeded has worked it has led to a life of constant pain and never end surgeries. The latest have a electronic spinal stimulator permanently implanted into my back and spine. It is to help with the pain at present I am on 520 mg. of morphine daily, which I am happy to report I have started to wean off of.

So far so good with the lower part of my body, as the disease I have RSD has cause never damage to 70 % of my body we will try one last radical procedure. Have an epidural placed in my upper spine an have 24/7 injections to see if they can permanently numb it so the stimulator might have a chance of connection with it. RSD is some what like MS but instead of steaming from the brain it comes from a shock, (in my case a nick in the spinal column during one of the 15 surgical procedures I have had). It spreads because your neuropath get all jumbled up.

Over these last 11 years my daughter with all this caous going on around her, as well as the addition of two siblings, sister Sydney 8 and brother Austin 6, has risen to all occasions.

As, I am not sick all the time we make the most of the good days, when we go threw a long period of bad times, she help in every sense of the word. She helps her father when I can not. Victoria does homework with her brother and sister, when healing has meant me, laying flat on my back for days on end.

What she will never tell people for modest is a word that also describes my Tori. She is a straight A student with a horrifying B occasionally. She is also a District Champion Figure Skater, who works so hard on and off the ice. She loves to compete, however does not like to collect gold metal on the podium, she like to pick it up latter. Even when she does not take home gold, she takes it in stride, no “Ice Princes” in this family. She skate to skate her personnel best, as long as she does that, she realizes she won already. Much to my surprise at recent parent conference I was told at her lunch/recess time she was working with the Autistic Children in her school, helping learn to socialize. The teacher said most kids do it for community service, while Tori just did it because she thought it was the right thing to do. When I asked her why she didn’t tell her father and I she said, “ It was just something I felt I needed to do, I did want you to make a big deal of it.” “The kid are really nice , you just have know how to reach them, there cool too.”

As a parent the pride and love was too much to describe, the only thing I can say is I feel like maybe where doing the right thing.

All my children are good kids, my husband Scott and I support them full in all their endeavors. (Without being a “Stage Mom”). We have stressed that your short coming do not define you as a person, you must fight for what is right.

Due, to my illness I have not been able to work for the last 2 years, before that each time I would have surgery I would return to work as soon as I was able. It make it hard as Montclair, where my family has live for 60 years has been invaded Manhattan. It has wiped out the middle class, and we can’t keep up with the Jones. I wish we could by the “labels” for her, but, there are people far worse off them us.

All three of my children know this, there are people who Mom’s are sicker then yours, there are people who don’t own a home, the are kids that are not loved and adored by there parents. We tell our kid so often that they roll their eyes, you three are the best thing that has happened to your father and I. YOUR ARE LOVE AND WANTED. All the money in the world can buy that.

The Tori Top Model Party 13th Birthday Party will be held in our un-rented 2nd floor apartment. I have this idea to make a runway out of milk carton and plywood. My friends will do hair and make up. Each girl will bring two dresses to walk the cat walk. I figures on setting up chairs a long the runway like at fashion week. (I am as far away from fashion as a person can get, I garden when I can bend .) I will take pictures, and instead of a good bag we will raid the Dollars stores and make them SWAG BAGS. Tori want the invitations to be delivered by hand, and call it TORI MAIL like TYRA MAIL. Please don’t sue us for copy right infringement.

If you have and other ideas to make it more realistic, I was wondering if you could forward them to me. I am not a fashioneasta.

If possible for I have told you the truth about my wonder baby girl and all she does to make her world a better place find it in your heart to send a autographed picture, she would die.

My husband and I had such great plans for the life were to suppose to have, it may not have work out the way we wanted, but, it has caused us to have these wonderful children, who as the letter shows, we do anything to support them. If you could find it in heart the picture would be great. The party will be April 25th and 26th ( sleepover). If can sent a photo, it would be great if it could be there for the other kid to see.

I thank you for taking the time to read this letter or the person who read your letter, please pas it a long. Victoria is such a cool kid, she desevers this so badly. This is the one way I could thing of getting it for her. I figured if you new our history you might help me fulfill my child’s wishes.

With gratitude and sincerity ,


Jennifer Herzig-Deribin

 
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On 23 Jan 2008, Alana wrote:

I love Tyra…
Shes Not Famou For being drunk and doin Drugs, but for helping people and listening to them…..I Beleive Tyra Is a great Role Model….Tyra Is never to skinny or to fat….

love u Tyra
Alana

 
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On 17 Sep 2007, MARISOL wrote:

I LOVE TYRA

 
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On 2 Jul 2007, Bijou wrote:

Hi,
I’m Bijou and I really really love tyra, no matter what. I do love her. And I always wish that I can be just like her and when I’ll grew up I’ll go talk to her and try to be a good,nice, beautiful girl like her. and I’ll always know that she is there for all the women.
love you tyra.
bijou

 
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On 30 Jun 2007, Amanda wrote:

I love Tyra!! she is great!!!

 
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On 30 Jun 2007, rob wrote:

tyra has gotten better with age.

 
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On 30 Jun 2007, Lucy Owade wrote:

Hi,

Thanks for the daily highlights. But ma worry is, how can i get help from Tyra ? Health help. Thank you so much.

 
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