Jay Manuel Doesn't Miss His Friendship With Tyra Banks

"One of the more surprising revelations in Reality Check, the Netflix docuseries about America's Next Top Model, is the deterioration of the friendship between Jay Manuel and Tyra Banks. After cycle eight of ANTM ended, Manuel told Banks he wanted to leave the show, and Banks allegedly refused to let it happen; Manuel worried about being blacklisted from the industry if he left despite Banks's disapproval."

"The docuseries attempted to get Banks's perspective on the friendship falling-out, but she simply said "nah" to the discussion, claiming she was going to give Manuel a "call." That hasn't happened. "My phone number is the same. She knows it," Manuel said while speaking with Entertainment Tonight after the docuseries aired. "I haven't gotten a phone call, but I don't think I will get that phone call, to be honest with you. And I'm not expecting it.""

"The last time Manuel spoke to Banks was in 2017, according to . "If I never spoke to Tyra again in this lifetime, I'm okay with that," Manuel added to Entertainment Tonight. When asked if he missed his friendship with Banks, he was blunt: "I don't." Manuel wasn't the only one from the Top Model team who was seemingly promised some closure from Banks. "She called me up three weeks ago and said she wanted to come visit. I said, 'Sure, okay.' But I haven't seen her yet," Miss J. Alexander told us in an interview this week. "I think she'll wait for a ticket to be paid for." Thankfully, the trio (Manuel, Alexander, and photographer Nigel Barker) have each other to talk through their Top Model fallouts."

Reality Check details the deterioration of Jay Manuel and Tyra Banks' friendship after Manuel told Banks he wanted to leave America's Next Top Model following cycle eight. Banks allegedly refused to let Manuel leave, and Manuel feared being blacklisted if he departed without her approval. Banks declined to discuss the fallout, saying she would give Manuel a 'call,' but she has not. Manuel said his phone number remains the same, he last spoke to Banks in 2017, and he does not expect or miss the friendship. Miss J. Alexander and Nigel Barker say Banks similarly promised contact but has not followed through. The three former colleagues continue to support each other.

Read at Vulture