By Tammy Van, managing editor
Monday, February 12, 2007

Former supermodel Tyra Banks was recently captured on camera; only this time, it wasn’t on the runway.

Allegations of Banks’ forty-pound weight gain were sparked by a month-old photoshoot in Australia in preparation of the new season of America’s Next Top Model. The infamous shot in her one-piece bathing suit had been released all over tabloids and celebrity blogs, many of which have claimed that Banks had topped 200 pounds.

On Thursday, February 1st, Banks faced these vicious rumors head-on via her daytime talk show, The Tyra Banks Show. In an attempt to feed those gossip mongrels, she appeared on a catwalk in the very same bathing suit during the opening of the program. Because of the immense support of her family, she revealed to her audience that she would be pleased with herself at whatever weight. “I did not gain forty pounds in two months because that’s not healthy,” said Banks, countering the press’ attacks.

During her opening monologue, Banks discussed her battle with naysayers during her modeling career. Now and then, she remains to feel triumphant. “I felt like I was happy to be twenty to thirty pounds heavier than the average model,” she said. Upon recollecting her runway experiences along with her frustration with the media, Banks delivered a teary, headstrong message to remember.

Throughout the course of her show, Banks spoke openly with different women about negative body image. Some shared the same viewpoints she had, while others wallowed in utter denial. In midst of the negative press she had been receiving, Tyra managed to show America what being fierce is all about in an hour flat.