'America's Next Top Model' icon, Miss J Alexander, recently shared a life-altering moment in a docuseries, opening up about her recovery journey after a stroke left him paralyzed.
Miss J Alexander, better known as "the queen of the runway", has been undergoing a challenging health crisis for the past few years, and he has finally spoken up about his very private battle. On Netflix's new docuseries Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, the iconic ANTP coach opened up for the first time about a stroke that changed his life forever. Shockingly for fans, Miss J revealed that her once close friend, longtime ANTP host Tyra Banks, never visited her after this health crisis. Here's what happened.
In the Netflix docuseries, which premiered on Monday, February 16, 2026, Miss J opened up about his jarring health crisis in late 2022, one that left him paralyzed. The modelling coach and reality star shared that he had to spend five weeks in a coma after suffering a stroke, and he was unable to walk or talk. He shared in the series:
“On December 27, 2022, I had a stroke. I spent five weeks in a coma, and I couldn’t walk, and I couldn’t talk. And I thought to myself, what was I going to do? I couldn’t walk; I couldn’t speak… It was emotional, I cried. I’m not ashamed to say I cried."
Miss J has spent a significant chunk of his life training aspiring models, becoming a runway queen through her work in ANTM, Top Model Russia, and Top Model China. Learning that he will probably never walk the runway again, he was left heartbroken by his terrible health crisis. The 67-year-old modelling coach revealed how his close friends and former colleagues, Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker, visited him in the hospital and kept his morale up. Recalling the emotional moment, Miss J shared:
“Once I was in the hospital, Jay [Manuel] and Nigel [Barker] came to visit. I cried because I just missed them so much.”
Tyra Banks, the long-time host and co-producer of America's Next Top Model, appeared to share a close bond with Miss J on the show, and it came as a shock to viewers when the modelling icon left the show in 2012. However, given their years of friendship, it was expected that Tyra would visit Miss J after his health scare. When asked if she visited him in the hospital, Alexander said:
“No, not yet. She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me, but no. Not yet.”
Well, it looks like even the latter doesn't know what really went wrong. In 2012, Miss J was fired from the show after Mark Pedowitz replaced Dawn Ostroff as the head of the CW Network. In the Netflix docuseries, when asked about his leaving the iconic show, Miss J revealed that he was also left blindsided by the unexpected turn of events. He shared:
“For my birthday, Tyra sent me flowers. I thought, ‘Oh, how sweet.’ There was a note, it said, ‘Happy birthday, love Tyra.' And then I was fired five days later... Come on, give me a break. I was the spine of the show. And then, bye!”
For years, fans have wondered whether Tyra and Miss J are still on good terms following America's Next Top Model. In case you didn't know, Tyra Banks was Miss J Alexander's closest connection long before America’s Next Top Model became a global hit. The runway icon once revealed on Reality Check that he met Tyra when she was just 16. Tyra has also often credited him with shaping her early career. She admitted at that time:
“J taught me how to walk. He was just this godfather, mother, diva extraordinaire. He was the real deal. I knew that he had something special.”
That history made what happened in 2012 even harder to process. After Cycle 18, the CW Network decided the show needed a shakeup and let go of Miss J, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker. As for where the friendship stands today, Tyra has refused to comment on the matter.
Miss J, born Alexander Jenkins in the South Bronx, had already built an impressive fashion portfolio long before becoming a reality TV icon. After being discovered by Elite Model Management, he walked for Jean Paul Gaultier as a teen model. That connection launched his career in modelling, and with time, Miss J became a sought-after runway coach, working with the world's biggest models, including Naomi Campbell and Kimora Lee Simmons. His fashion expertise has long influenced major houses like Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Valentino.
After stepping away from America’s Next Top Model, Miss J continued to stay active in the fashion world. He made appearances on international editions of the franchise and spent 15 years teaching and mentoring next-gen creatives at the Savannah College of Art and Design. However, after his devastating health tragedy, he has taken a step back from the runway and public appearances, focusing on his recovery. Her journey at ANTM can now be streamed on Netflix on Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.
What are your thoughts on the current dynamic between Miss J Alexander and Tyra Banks? Let us know.
Also Read: Nancy Guthrie Kidnap, Ex-FBI Agent Warns Against Sheriff's Clearing Of Tommaso Cioni As Suspect