Model Winnie Harlow shared some serious feelings about "America's Next Top Model" (aka "ANTM"), the reality show she started on.
During a May 9 interview with Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live," she revealed exactly what she thinks of the show's impact on her career and its overall credibility in the fashion industry.
Unfortunately, Harlow's opinions left a lot of "ANTM" fans salty — and they took to social media to express their grievances.
It all began after Andy Cohen gave the run-down about Harlow's start on the show, which was followed by a swift correction from her.
“You were on "America’s Next Top Model." You did great but then you really broke through and here we are," Cohen said.
"So I really started after the show because that really didn’t do anything for my career, which it doesn’t do anything for any model’s career realistically," Harlow replied.
Welp!
Harlow seemed to give greater credit to renowned photographer Nick Knight for catapulting her to major success in the fashion industry.
"A photographer from London hit me up. Major photographer, Nick Knight," Harlow explained.
"He was like, ‘Hey, I’ve seen your pictures online and I want to, you know, do a shoot with you.' It went viral and I got campaigns from there and it hasn't stopped since."
"So was the show... were the opportunities that you thought were going to come from the show that just never happened?" Cohen asked.
"Yeah, well that's why I went on because I thought, like, that was going to be a career-starter, but it was really like a reality TV show. That's not what I signed up for," Harlow answered.
"So it's almost like you made it in spite of the show?" Cohen asked to clarify.
"Well I wouldn't like to say that because it's still a part of my history and I'm really grateful for everything that I've done to get where I am, but you know," Harlow explained.
Interestingly, this interview comes after Tyra Banks recently credited herself with discovering Winnie Harlow on social media and bringing her onto "ANTM."
If "America's Next Top Model" did "nothing" for Winnie Harlow's career, it's certainly news to Boss Banks.
"I discovered Winnie Harlow, who was on "America’s Next Top Model," [while] scrolling through Instagram," Tyra Banks shared during a First We Feast interview.
"There was this beautiful model. African-American girl. She had vitiligo. It was the most beautiful patterns on her face and I was like, ‘I have to find her.’ And I started asking people on Instagram, ‘Who is this? Who is this?’ She ended up on "ANTM" and now she’s one of the Teen Choice Awards’ most favorite model. She’s a real supermodel now.'
Harlow took to Instagram to reveal that being on "ANTM" seemed to hurt her modeling career more than it helped her.
Harlow allegedly had a difficult time booking jobs because of her participation in the show.
"After it was known I was going to be on a reality show, no agency would book me, no one would work with me & I was told it was because I was now branded a 'reality break out star' not actually a model, before the show was even aired," she revealed.
"I was going to give up on modeling and go study journalism which is what I always wanted to do."
Harlow also explained that Nick Knight booked her first Diesel campaign and that she was shocked at how things played out because she was told on "ANTM" that she "wasn't a good model."
Fans of Tyra Banks and "ANTM" are furious that Harlow wouldn't give proper credit to the show, which was much of the public's first introduction to her modeling persona.
"Winnie Harlow saying being on ANTM did nothing for her career is bogus as fuck," one fan fumed.
"You can’t act like the exposure and following didn’t help you get noticed by well known photographers. She sounds ungrateful to me."
Fans are calling for Banks to respond to Harlow's statements.
"Never liked @winnieharlow on #ANTM. Her personality was horrible. But I was proud to see her doing well. Until now @tyrabanks let her know, queen!" one fan wrote.
Other people are acknowledging that not all models from "ANTM" reach supermodel status afterward, but still want credit given to the show for invaluable exposure.
"ANTM doesn’t create superstars but Winnie Harlow acting like it was a given that we were gonna know her without the show is a joke," a fan shared.
And of course fans weren't going to let Harlow slide by without the iconic Tyra Banks chide.
Other fans feel Harlow was right to point out how flawed the reality show truly is.
"I’m grateful that models like @winnieharlow are honest about their experience with the show," a fan tweeted out.
"A lot of us have grown up idolizing the construct of it and if it’s flawed or there’s more to it, 20+ cycles in, we deserve right to know."
This tweet earned a re-tweet from Winnie Harlow herself.
Harlow later doubled down on her initial statement on Twitter, but denied allegations that she "slammed" the show.
"Never slammed [ANTM], just spoke my truth," Harlow shared.
It's safe to say slamming a show and speaking your truth can exist together. To say a show that exists to develop models "did nothing" for your modeling career (even if true) is a real stinger.
It's important to acknowledge that "ANTM" certainly has a problematic past and Harlow did experience some of its worse aspects during her season.
As "ANTM" has undergone a recent resurgence, longtime fans of the show have been recalling some of the most problematic moments that went down prior to the start of viral social media draggings.
The modeling show participated in some unfortunate fat shaming, ableism, Africa shaming, and even blackface.
Harlow herself was insensitively called a "panda bear" by photographer Yu Tsai during Cycle 21. He apologized to her for making fun of her vitiligo and later apologized via Twitter as well.
Ultimately, it's just wonderful for Harlow that her career has blossomed into what it is today, no matter what side of the debate you're on about how she got here.
Winnie's winning and Tyra Banks still has a full bank. It's all good.
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