ANTM Winner's Prizes Hurt Career, She Claims

Adrianne Curry, the inaugural winner of America's Next Top Model in 2003, recently revealed that the prizes she received may have negatively impacted her modeling aspirations. Curry described a supposed 'prize' opportunity at Revlon corporate as humiliating and poorly compensated, contrary to the show's promises of creating 'huge Revlon models.'

Further complicating her career, Curry stated that Wilhelmina, the agency contracted for the winner in cycle 1, allegedly acted to sabotage her prospects. This was reportedly due to the show's decision to switch agencies in cycle 2, causing animosity from Wilhelmina. Former agency representatives, however, suggested such a motivation was unlikely given the passage of time and the agency's status as a public company.

Curry also recounted how her then-husband, Christopher Knight, attempted to help her break her contract with Wilhelmina, which her manager described as the 'Wilhelmina wars.' Despite initial struggles, Curry eventually found success in other television projects and as a top-selling Avon representative, expressing gratitude for the overall experience that shaped her life.

In recent years, Curry has also raised concerns about other aspects of her ANTM experience, including a claim of partial baldness resulting from a makeover segment over two decades prior. Meanwhile, a new Netflix docuseries, 'Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model,' is set to investigate various controversies surrounding the show, with Banks's representative declining to comment on Curry's specific allegations.