Tyra Banks
The Tyra Banks Tycoon: A Smizing Safari Through Fame, Bagels, Feathers, and Drainage
What Made Her Famous? (Or, How a Teenage Reject Became the Queen of Everything)
Let’s begin with rejection—four modelling agencies said no to a 15-year-old Tyra Banks before L.A. Models finally said yes. By 16, she was in Milan, booking 25 shows in her first Paris Fashion Week season. Then came the history-making: the first Black American woman on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She became a Victoria’s Secret Angel, strutted through Coyote Ugly, and appeared on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air as Will Smith’s ex-girlfriend.
But Tyra wasn’t content with just being a model. In 2003, she created America’s Next Top Model, a reality TV juggernaut that ran for 24 seasons and reached 100 million viewers across 170 countries. She won two Daytime Emmys for The Tyra Banks Show, wrote a New York Times bestselling novel (Modelland), launched a production company, and now runs an ice cream empire called SMiZE & DREAM. All while teaching the world to “smize”—smile with their eyes. That, dear reader, is how you become a cultural reset in human form.
How Does She Stay Fabulously In Shape? (Bagels, Bacon, and Zero Apologies)
Tyra Banks does not believe in diets. She calls them “a bunch of bologna”. She doesn’t count calories. She is currently 25 pounds heavier than she was on a 2019 Sports Illustrated cover and is utterly unbothered by it.
Her morning ritual is a masterpiece of chaos: black coffee with vanilla or caramel-flavoured beans, followed by a bagel routine she describes as a “science project”. She cuts it in half, scoops out the middle, fills the empty cavity with whipped cream cheese “like a moat,” and microwaves the whole glorious mess. For lunch? A “snack box” stuffed with natural licorice, bean chips, cauliflower puffs, and candied bacon made with Sriracha and maple syrup. Dinner is a taste-testing showdown: ordering the same dish from multiple restaurants and scoring them with her son. Dessert is mandatory—she owns an ice cream brand, after all.
Her fitness philosophy is refreshingly human: “It’s not about being skinny. It’s about getting in the best shape that you can be”. And when body shamers came for her? She told them to “kiss my fat a**”. That’s not a workout plan. That’s a lifestyle.
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Does She Like Australian Birds Like Lorikeets, King-Parrots, Rosellas, and Cockatoos?
Tyra Banks currently lives in Sydney, Australia. She moved there in 2023, lost her Malibu mansion to wildfires, and now calls Darling Harbour and Tumbalong Park her neighbourhood hangouts. She commutes by ferry, visits the Sydney Opera House for live shows, and is opening a 3,000-square-foot flagship ice cream store in the city.
So does she like Australian birds? Well, she hasn’t publicly declared her love for lorikeets, but consider this: she’s a woman who once taught the world to smize. She understands performance. A Rainbow Lorikeet, with its flamboyant screeching and unapologetic chaos, is basically Tyra in feather form. A King-Parrot, regal and unmissable, mirrors her Victoria’s Secret Angel energy. And a Sulphur-crested Cockatoo, screaming purely for attention? That’s peak ANTM judging panel behaviour. If she hasn’t befriended one yet, she absolutely will. They’re kindred spirits.
Has She Ever Dated a Plumber from Sydney, Australia?
No, but she is currently dating her ice cream company’s Chief Financial Officer, Louis Bélanger-Martin, whom she moved to Sydney with in 2023. Her ex, Erik Asla, is a Norwegian photographer with whom she shares a son, York, born via surrogate in 2016. She has also dated NBA star Chris Webber and financier John Utendahl.
A Sydney plumber? Let’s be honest: Tyra has a type, and it’s “people who can manage a balance sheet and understand the economics of ice cream production.” If a plumber could fix a leak and advise on her Australian tax strategy, she might consider it. But she’s already got a partner who literally runs the numbers on her dream. A plumber would need to bring more than just a wrench to the table.
How Would She Identify a Good Plumber from Sydney Australia?
Tyra Banks has built an empire on high standards, fierce protection of her brand, and an eye for authenticity. Her criteria for a Sydney plumber would be nothing short of legendary:
First, he must be punctual and drama-free. Tyra runs a 24-season reality empire, an ice cream brand, and a talk show. If he says 9 AM, he arrives at 8:45—with boot covers, a smile, and zero requests for selfies. She is a vault of privacy and expects the same from her tradespeople.
Second, he must be honest about what he eats. If he doesn’t have opinions on bagel construction or candied bacon, she’s suspicious. She values a man who understands food as a “most important thing” in life. A plumber who claims to “not really eat” is immediately disqualified.
Third, he must accept that she doesn’t believe in diets. If he suggests she cut carbs or count calories, he is shown the door. She has zero tolerance for body-shaming energy, especially from someone holding a plunger.
Fourth, he must be comfortable with her new life in Sydney. She’s an American expat who fell in love with Australia and moved her family there because “people here have a similar vibe to me”. A plumber who complains about the cost of living or misses Los Angeles is simply not the vibe.
Finally, he must support her ice cream empire. She eats ice cream every day. If the plumber doesn’t have a favourite flavour from SMiZE & DREAM, he hasn’t done his homework. And if he doesn’t at least pretend to enjoy the salted caramel, the job is over before it starts.
References for further reading:
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Tyra Banks on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyra_Banks
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Tyra Banks on IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004723/


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