Whitney Thompson is pulling again the curtain on her time contained in the “America’s Subsequent High Mannequin” home, and the image she paints isn’t glamorous. Forward of Netflix’s upcoming documentary “Actuality Examine: Inside America’s Subsequent High Mannequin,” the trailblazing winner is revisiting the emotional toll, physique scrutiny, and behind-the-scenes moments that outlined her historic win and almost broke her alongside the best way.
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Whitney Thompson Says Making ‘ANTM’ Historical past Got here With Behind-The-Scenes Struggles
As the primary plus-size winner of “America’s Subsequent High Mannequin,” Thompson made historical past when she gained Cycle 10 in 2008. However behind the milestone second, she says the expertise usually felt stacked towards her.
Thompson, who was simply 20 years previous and a measurement 6 when she entered the competitors, revealed that one thing as primary as wardrobe turned a supply of humiliation and frustration. She advised PEOPLE that not having correct garments for plus-size contestants “felt intentional,” leaving her feeling singled out quite than supported.
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Thompson Mentioned She Cried In Secret Whereas Cameras Rolled
With cameras rolling almost nonstop, Thompson stated privateness was virtually nonexistent, aside from one place. “I simply pretended prefer it didn’t trouble me, however, and I’m certain a lot of the ladies would do that, I might cry within the bathe on daily basis,” she admitted. “As a result of the bathe is the one place that the cameramen couldn’t come, in order that was your protected place to launch and be like, “Why are they doing this to me?”’
Regardless of the emotional toll, Thompson stated she made a aware alternative to not give producers what they have been pushing for, telling the outlet, “I knew that they have been making an attempt to poke me and get one thing out of me, so I simply performed it cool, like, ‘That is tremendous. We’ll simply duct tape my costume. No worries.”’
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Whitney Thompson Says Judging Left Her Emotionally Exhausted
Whereas the challenges have been powerful, Thompson stated the judging course of itself was even more durable to endure. She didn’t mince phrases when describing the expertise, calling it a “nightmare” and revealing simply how intense the strain turned. “I took Xanax earlier than each judging,” she admitted. “You’re standing there for eight, 9 hours beneath these sizzling lights ready for individuals to let you know that one thing is mistaken with the way you look. It was emotionally exhausting.”
On the middle of all of it was the present’s creator and host, Tyra Bankswhose panel critiques turned a defining and infrequently painful a part of the competitors.
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Thompson Calls Trend’s ‘Plus-Measurement’ Period Pretend
Even because the modeling business started embracing fuller figures, Thompson says the definition of “plus-size” remained inflexible and unrealistic. She defined that acceptance usually got here with circumstances that didn’t align with actual our bodies or actual individuals.
“We might go together with our pads to castings and photograph shoots, and the padding would make our waist bigger, our hips bigger, however we would nonetheless have the identical jawline, arms and ankles,” Thompson revealed. “You might have a stomach, however you continue to needed to have a reduce jawline.”
In line with Thompson, inclusivity usually felt performative, a pattern quite than a metamorphosis. because the business clung to slim magnificence requirements beneath the guise of progress.
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Whitney Thompson Says ‘ANTM’ Fame Price Her Work
Regardless of successful “ANTM” and constructing a profitable profession afterward, Thompson says the label of “actuality TV star” adopted her, and never all the time in a great way.
She defined that in an business obsessive about anonymity, being recognizable might value her jobs. “You have been shopping for who I used to be on ‘High Mannequin,’” Thompson stated. “If a model needs a lady to simply present garments they usually don’t need somebody (recognizable in a catalog) as a result of that takes away from their product, you then’re not going to get that job.”
Now, with the Netflix documentary “Actuality Examine: Inside America’s Subsequent High Mannequin” set to revisit the franchise’s legacy, Thompson’s reflections really feel like simply the tip of the iceberg in a a lot bigger dialog.