Former America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin choose Miss J Alexander revealed he nonetheless can’t stroll after struggling a debilitating stroke that left him comatose.
In Netflix’s Actuality Examine: Inside America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin docuseries, streaming now, Miss J, 67, mentioned his time on the present with Tyra Banks, Nigel Barker and Jay Manuel. It wasn’t till the ultimate minutes of the three-part particular that Miss J opened up a few well being scare he battled away from the general public eye.
“All the things modified. On December twenty seventh of 2022, I had a stroke,” he revealed. “I didn’t know the place I used to be aside from within the hospital. I spent 5 weeks in a coma and I couldn’t stroll and I couldn’t speak. And I believed to myself, what was I going to do?”
Miss J’s private footage from his hospital room revealed he lived there for not less than “one yr and 5 months” as a result of he “couldn’t stroll and couldn’t communicate.”
“It was emotional. I cried. I’m not ashamed to say that I cried. Then as soon as I used to be within the hospital, Jay and Niguel came over,” he recalled. “I believed again to how we used to do exhibits collectively. I cry as a result of I simply miss them a lot.”
America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequina contest sequence the place aspiring fashions competed for an opportunity to start their profession within the modeling trade, aired from 2003 to 2018 on a number of networks. Banks hosted the presentwhereas Jay served because the artistic director and Miss J and Nigel, each 53, served as judges.
The trio remained on good phrases after they had been fired, and in keeping with Miss J correctly reconnected amid his extreme well being scare.
“I don’t know whether or not he even needed me to see him that approach. I used to be going to go see him. That was simply such a horrible shock and actually upsetting and horrifying and scary,” Nigel stated within the Netflix doc. “When he noticed me, he was glad to see me and the 2 of us cried collectively and I held him.”
Jay, in the meantime, stated Miss J initially struggled, including, “I may really feel how upset he was for certain. I can solely think about the place he was in his thoughts.”
Miss J was requested whether or not Tyra, 52, visited him within the hospital after his stroke. (Tyra was interviewed for the docuseries however no footage of her discussing Miss J’s well being points was included within the closing lower.)
“No, not but. She simply despatched me a textual content that she needs to come back and go to me,” Miss J replied. “However no … not but.”
Within the docuseries, Jay, Miss J and Nigel had been seen spending time collectively between filming. Jay and Nigel comforted Miss J, who was nonetheless emotional about being in a wheelchair, which the viewers didn’t see till the top of Actuality Examine: Inside America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin.
“It has been a journey and also you’re talking so significantly better now,” Jay stated, to which Nigel added, “You’re batting by means of. Once we first noticed you in that hospital, you would hardly transfer, hardly speak. Now you’re sitting up doing an interview, chatting, speaking, rolling your eyes and making us chortle.”
Nigel continued: “It’s a lengthy journey however you will get there. I do know it has been actually exhausting.”
In his personal confessional, Miss J mentioned his progress, saying, “I miss being the queen of the runway. I’m the one that taught fashions methods to stroll and now I can’t stroll. Not but. I’m decided to stroll. I’m certain you will see me once more. It’s not over for me but.”
Actuality Examine: Inside America’s Subsequent Prime Mannequin is at the moment streaming on Netflix.