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Jay Manuel Felt 'Psychological Torture' on ANTM
15 Feb
Summary
- Jay Manuel endured psychological torture after wanting to leave ANTM.
- Tyra Banks responded to his departure email with just three words.
- Manuel and other judges were dropped without a promised joint press release.
Jay Manuel, the longtime creative director for America's Next Top Model, revealed in a recent interview that he experienced severe distress while working on the show. Manuel explained that after informing host Tyra Banks of his intention to leave due to ethical concerns, their professional relationship deteriorated significantly.
Manuel recounted sending an email to Banks expressing gratitude but also his desire to move on. Banks' reply was brief: 'I am disappointed.' Following this exchange, communication between them reportedly stopped, leading to what Manuel described as 'psychological torture' during his remaining seasons.
Despite wanting to depart earlier, Manuel stayed on for 18 seasons, partly fearing industry blacklisting. He and fellow original judges Nigel Barker and J. Alexander were eventually dropped before season 19. Manuel claimed they were promised a joint press release about their departure but instead learned of their dismissal through news outlets reporting Banks had fired them.
