Tyra Banks Denies Photoshop Allegations in 'Today' Interview

By Daniel S. Levine

Tyra Banks stars in Kim Kardashian's new SKIMS campaign, which has been hit with allegations of Photoshopping. Despite what haters may say, Banks, 48, called her newest moment in the spotlight between Dancing With the Stars seasons "empowering." Kardashian brought Banks out of modeling retirement for the new "Icons" campaign, featuring Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio and Candice Swanepoel.

"I think I'm more confident today because the world accepts so many different types of beauty," Banks told Hoda Kotb on The Today Show last week. "This is something I've been talking about for decades. So me, curvier me, damn near almost 50 years old in this campaign, I think it is pretty empowering."

Kardashian, 41, said she had known Banks for a long time, but they had gone a while without speaking when The Kardashians star reached out to the former America's Next Top Model host. "It was just really good to catch up and reconnect. I just have so much respect for her," Kardashian said. "We just had an honest heart-to-heart conversation, and she got to hear what the brand stands for, why I started the brand – and I'm just all about supporting women."

During the conversation, Kardashian helped Banks understand her position as an "icon" in the modeling industry. "Then she talked about that – I was a role model for her back in the day, which really touched me. And she said when I was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, she hadn't seen boobs that were real and big and curves," Banks said. "And she said that gave her self-esteem for her body." After the "serious conversation," Banks could not say no.

Banks also praised Kardashian as an entrepreneur like herself. "I was like, 'This is a whole 'nother level that the world doesn't know about you, and I want them to know that it's next level,'" Banks said.

After SKIMS released photos and videos from the campaign earlier this month, some fans called out Kardashian's company for appearing to Photoshop Banks. "WHY did you edit and photoshop Tyra? She is naturally BEAUTIFUL," one person wrote. "Tyra Banks looks way more beautiful without the edits, in my opinion," another commented. SKIMS did not publicly respond to the Photoshopping allegations, reports Page Six.

Banks has not been opposed to sharing unedited photos of herself. In June 2015, she posted an unfiltered selfie on Instagram. "You know how people say #nofilter, but you know there's a freakin' filter on their pic," Banks captioned the post. "Or maybe there's a smidge of retouching going on, but they're lying and saying it's all raw & real? Well, this morn, I decided to give you a taste of the really real me." During a 2015 episode of FABLife, Banks admitted she does touch up some of her photos. "I have insecurities, nobody's perfect," she said in a segment where she showed viewers how to properly use the photo-editing app FaceTune.

Banks is now the host of ABC's Dancing With the Stars, which is moving to Disney+ for its 31st season in the fall. She has also come under scrutiny for her tenure on America's Next Top Model since old episodes are available on Netflix. Business Insider published a new expose on the show, revealing some of the most shocking aspects of the series.

"Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some of the past ANTM moments, and I agree with you. Looking back, those were some really off choices," Banks wrote in a May 2020 tweet. "Appreciate your honest feedback and am sending so much love and virtual hugs." Banks did not comment on Business Insider's report.

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