--- title: Tyra Banks Opens Up About Body Image, Naomi Campbell description: Before Tyra Banks became one of the most famous models, she had a few obstacles to overcome: Her weight — and feud with Naomi Campbell. canonical: https://time.com/4534789/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-10-18T13:52:44.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T09:03:37.067Z og:title: Tyra Banks Wasn't Hired For Shows Because Her 'Body Was Getting Thicker' og:description: She calls events in her early career 'some of my lowest times of my life' og:url: https://time.com/4534789/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltacbc2ca415ad3e33/6988aa5d2dce013dff9eb0f5/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: The Paley Center For Media's Tribute To African-American Achievements In Television og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Tyra Banks Wasn't Hired For Shows Because Her 'Body Was Getting Thicker' twitter:description: She calls events in her early career 'some of my lowest times of my life' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltacbc2ca415ad3e33/6988aa5d2dce013dff9eb0f5/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Tyra Banks Wasn't Hired For Shows Because Her 'Body Was Getting Thicker' > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ef841797-26a6-4346-a36b-027cc0907247&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ef841797-26a6-4346-a36b-027cc0907247&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=ef841797-26a6-4346-a36b-027cc0907247&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ef841797-26a6-4346-a36b-027cc0907247&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Jillian Ruffo / People](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Jillian Ruffo / People Contributor Oct 18, 2016 1:52 PM UTC  BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 26: Actress / Fashion Model Tyra Banks attends the Paley Center For Media's Tribute To African-American Achievements In Television at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on October 26, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic) BEVERLY HILLS, CA - OCTOBER 26: Actress / Fashion Model Tyra Banks attends the Paley Center For Media's Tribute To African-American Achievements In Television at the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons Hotel on October 26, 2015 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic) Paul Archuleta—FilmMagic/Getty Images by [Jillian Ruffo / People](https://time.com/author/people/) ## Jillian Ruffo / People Contributor Oct 18, 2016 1:52 PM UTC Before [Tyra Banks](http://people.com/style/tyra-banks-launches-skincare/) became one of the most famous models of her time, the host of [_America’s Next Top Model_](http://people.com/tv/americas-next-top-model-returning-to-television-tyra-banks-will-not-host/), or launched her own [cosmetics and skincare lines](http://people.com/style/tyra-banks-launches-skincare/), she was a major runway model with a few major obstacles to overcome: Her weight — and her feud with Naomi Campbell. Banks (along with her Norwegian boyfriend, Erik Asla), was a guest on Norwegian/Swedish talk show _Skavlan_, and she was candid about about the early days in her career. After being declined by six Los Angeles modeling agencies and accepted only for runway modeling by the seventh, Banks went to Paris — where she was finally welcomed into the industry, but not by everyone. “I got to Paris, and it was very difficult. I did really well really fast, but then the industry was saying, ‘Oh, look out Naomi Campbell, here comes Tyra Banks! So Naomi Campbell, sit your butt down,’ ” Banks explained. “It wasn’t fair to Naomi, but her response was … to this day, I’m very scared of her. It was very difficult. — like some of my lowest times of my life — dealing with that.” They eventually made up on Banks’ mid-’00s talk show (“I cried like a baby,” she confessed), but Campbell’s animosity wasn’t the only obstacle she had to overcome. “My agents in Italy gave \[my mom\] a list of designers that did not want to hire me anymore because my body was getting thicker,” Banks says. “And she showed me this list of designers and I just started crying and said ‘Oh my gosh, Mommy, what do I do? Am I supposed to like starve myself? OK, maybe I won’t eat any bread anymore. Just salads with no dressing, salads for breakfast, lunch and dinner.’” With her mom on her side, however, starving wasn’t an option. “‘She says, ‘You know what we’re gonna do? We’re gonna eat pizza.’ And she took me to a pizzeria in Milan, Italy … She said, ‘You write down every client in this world that likes ass. Your ass is growing, and I’ll be damned if my baby starves herself for this industry. So we’re gonna go where your ass is going.’ ” And the rest is history. _This_ [_article_](http://people.com/style/tyra-banks-on-her-relationship-with-naomi-campbell/) _originally appeared on_ [_People.com_](http://www.people.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4534789/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4534789/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image/"},"headline":"Tyra Banks Wasn't Hired For Shows Because Her 'Body Was Getting Thicker'","datePublished":"2016-10-18T13:52:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T09:03:37.067Z","description":"She calls events in her early career 'some of my lowest times of my life'","url":"https://time.com/4534789/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image/","keywords":["motto"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltacbc2ca415ad3e33/6988aa5d2dce013dff9eb0f5/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jillian Ruffo / People"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltacbc2ca415ad3e33/6988aa5d2dce013dff9eb0f5/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"The Paley Center For Media's Tribute To African-American Achievements In Television","caption":"The Paley Center For Media's Tribute To African-American Achievements In Television","creditText":"Paul Archuleta—FilmMagic/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/motto/","name":"motto"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4534789/tyra-banks-naomi-campbell-body-image/","name":"Tyra Banks Wasn't Hired For Shows Because Her 'Body Was Getting Thicker'"}}]}] ```