Adrianne Curry Says America’s Next Top Model Win Hurt Her Career

Adrianne Curry, the first-ever winner of America’s Next Top Model, says her victory may have damaged her modeling career instead of launching it.

Curry won cycle 1 of America's Next Top Model in 2003 after being crowned by creator and host Tyra Banks. At the time, Banks told finalists Curry and Shannon Stewart that one of them was “about to be a star.”

But in a 2023 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Curry claimed the reality was very different from what was promised on the show.

“Humiliated” by Revlon Prize

Curry said the prize package — which included a contract with Revlon, a fashion spread in Marie Claire, and representation by Wilhelmina Models — did not meet her expectations.

According to Curry, her Revlon contract involved sitting in a back room at corporate offices while a makeup artist applied makeup in front of several executives. She said the job paid $15,000 and left her feeling “humiliated,” especially after judges had suggested contestants could become major faces of the brand, like supermodels Cindy Crawford or Banks herself.

Agency Drama and “Wilhelmina Wars”

Curry also alleged that problems worsened when the show switched its prize agency to IMG Models in cycle 2. She claimed that her relationship with Wilhelmina became strained after the change.

“The agents wanted me to fail,” Curry alleged in the interview, saying she felt the agency was unhappy with the show’s promises and the shift in partnership.

Former Wilhelmina VP Ray Lata responded at the time, saying the company is now publicly owned and that it would not make sense for an agency to damage a model’s earning potential.

Curry’s then-husband, Christopher Knight, best known for The Brady Bunch, reportedly tried to help her get out of her three-year contract. Curry’s former manager described the period as the “Wilhelmina wars,” claiming the agency did little to support her career.

Regrets and Reflection

Curry admitted that in her early 20s she publicly criticized Banks and the show. However, she now says she holds no bitterness.

“Tyra Banks learned to look out for Tyra Banks,” Curry said. “She didn’t owe me anything.”

Today, Curry says she is grateful for the experience, noting that it helped shape her life. She later built a television career and currently works as one of Avon’s top-selling representatives.

Banks declined to comment on Curry’s claims about Wilhelmina at the time of the interview.

Hair Damage Allegations

In October 2025, Curry made new claims about her time on the show. She alleged in a social media post that she was left “partially bald” after receiving a weave during a makeover episode. According to Curry, the process caused an “oozing wound” and resulted in significant hair loss.

Banks’ representatives did not respond to requests for comment regarding those allegations.

Netflix Docuseries Revisits Controversies

Several cycle 1 contestants, including Shannon Stewart and Giselle Samson, are set to appear in Netflix’s upcoming docuseries Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.

The series explores controversies surrounding the long-running show, including accusations of body-shaming, criticism of makeover decisions, and past photo shoots involving race-based themes. It will also feature Banks discussing the future of the franchise.

According to the docuseries, America’s Next Top Model — which last aired a new season in 2018 — is expected to return for cycle 25 in the near future.

Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model premieres Monday on Netflix.