Shandi Sullivan’s horrific experience on America’s Next Top Model has become one of the most talked about aspects of Netflix’s new tell-all documentary about the modelling reality show.
Shandi took part in cycle two of the TV show after being plucked from obscurity as a worker in Walgreens prior to the series.
On a trip to Milan however the producers invited over a set of male models and encouraged the girls to drink and party with them. Shandi spoke in the Netflix doc about how she became blackout drunk, waking up to one of the male models on top of her in the shower.
Producers did not step in to stop this from happening, and Shandi has now spoken out to slam Tyra Banks and executive producer Ken Mok for their interviews in the new documentary.
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Banks and Mok are both asked about Shandi’s situation in the documentary Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, particularly the decision to air what happened and reframe it as her cheating on her boyfriend.
Banks remained tight-lipped when asked on the Netflix doc, simply stating that it was hard for her to comment on as she was not involved in production.
Ken Mok, who was heavily involved in production as an Executive Producer, said: “We treated Top Model as a documentary. And we told the girls that. We would go over the rules.
"There's going to be cameras with you 24/7, day in and day out, and they're going to cover everything — the good, the bad, and everything in between. No matter what happens while you're on camera, we're going to document all of that.”
In a new post on her Instagram story Shandi clarified that Tyra Banks had ‘nothing’ to do with the documentary, adding that when she filmed her interview Tyra had not yet signed on to appear.
In a second story post she added: “I’m glad [Tyra] and Ken [Mok] are in it. Now everyone can see what I have been saying for years to people that actually listened.
“They don’t care what part they played. They still aren’t taking any responsibility for their role.
“So many more people on the show were treated like sh*t. Listen when they tell you.”
Nigel Barker has become the first major member of the show to speak out about Shandi after the show. The judge and photographer posted pictures of her on Instagram, calling her the ‘amazing and lovely Shandi Sullivan’.
He went on to add: “Shandi and I collaborated on a few shoots after ANTM, she was always a very special unique person.
“Watching the new Netflix doc Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model you get an extremely raw and true behind the scenes look at Shandi’s story and it’s clear the show could and should have done much better. Shandi will always be a rockstar.”
The former model commented on the post, saying one of his pictures is still one of her favourites before adding: “Thank you for always thinking of us girls after the show in the correct light.”
Shandi spoke in the Netflix doc about how the last thing she remembered was getting into a hot tub with other girls from the show, adding: “I remember him on top of me. I was blacked out. No one did anything to stop it. And it all got filmed, all of it.”
She asked to go home shortly after and was told she couldn’t, and when she asked to call her boyfriend, she was told it had to be filmed.
The exploitation of her did not end here however, as she was later made to confront the male model and ask if he wore a condom or had any STIs, as well as a doctor’s appointment being filmed. These later scenes were not aired.
Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model is available to stream on Netflix now.
Topics: TV and Film, TV, Crime, Celebrity
Michael Slavin