* Trigger Warning: This story contains mentions of sexual assault.
America’s Next Top Model Cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan spoke out this week about the reaction she’s received after sharing her sexual assault story in the new Netflix docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, while also explaining why she decided to participate in the project.
As The Ashley previously told you, Shandi opens up in the docuseries about the on-camera sexual assault that happened to her while filming Cycle 2 in Milan, and how the incident was manipulated by producers and ultimately portrayed on the show as a cheating storyline, as she was in a relationship at the time with a man named Eric.
Shandi tearfully detailed the incident in the docuseries, including the fact that she was filmed having sex despite her being “blacked out” at the time. She also addressed production’s decision to film her emotional phone call to Eric the following morning, where she broke the news that she “cheated” on him.
On Tuesday, Shandi posted her reaction to the docuseries, while recalling the time before Cycle 2 began airing on TV, when she had returned to her job at Walgreens, “fresh with a makeover and a secret that had to wait to air.”
“I smiled through it,” Shandi wrote. “Knowing that my friends, my family, Eric’s family, and strangers were going to know what I had done, what happened to me.”
Shandi revealed that even now, at the age of 43, she continues to struggle with the incident, which is the reason she ultimately chose to participate in the Netflix docuseries.
“That’s why I took this opportunity,” Shandi explained. “Knowing that Tyra didn’t have control over my narrative, that the director and producers here had my back….that’s why I did it. I did it for me. Because I mattered and I still do!
“The love I have felt today has been immense,” Shandi added. “Thank you to everyone that heard me.”
On Tuesday, former ‘ANTM’ judge and fashion photographer Nigel Barker kept the love for Shandi going by taking to Instagram to highlight a photoshoot he did with the Cycle 2 star after her season ended, while revealing that he and Shandi had actually “collaborated on a few shoots” after ‘ANTM.’
In his caption, Nigel noted that Shandi, “was always a very special unique person,” before going on to acknowledge the sexual assault story she opened up about in the docuseries.
“Watching the new Netflix doc ‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model’ you get an extremely raw and true behind the scenes look at Shandi’s story and it’s clear the show could and should have done much better,” he wrote. “Shandi will always be a rockstar.”
Shandi later left a comment on Nigel’s post, calling the first photo in his carousel, “one of my favorite photos of me.” She also thanked the photographer, “for always thinking of us girls after the show in the correct light.”
Amanda Swafford of Cycle 3 also commented on Nigel’s post, calling Shandi, “an amazing woman through and through.”
“I hope I get to see her again, we did the [‘ANTM’] tour together,” she wrote. “This is crazy she’s finally getting a moment of vindication. [Sort] of.”
Cycle 7 winner CariDee English also showed up in the comment section of Nigel’s post to compliment him for the work they did together, as well as commend him for speaking out about Shandi’s story following the release of the docuseries.
“Her story was indeed raw and it went too far,” CariDee wrote, before going on to mention certain moments that Shandi discussed in the project. “ … I am finally happy her last word is finally getting the volume it deserved all along ! Thank you for this post!!”
While many fans and former contestants of ‘ANTM’ remain appalled by what happened to Shandi– as well as Tyra and ‘ANTM’ executive producer Ken Mok’s comments about it in the docuseries– she revealed on Tuesday what it would take to make the situation right in her eyes.
“I’ll take a check for retro pay and an apology bare minimum,” she posted to her Instagram Story.
‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model’ is currently streaming on Netflix.
RELATED STORY: Tyra Banks Finally Addresses Her Infamous ‘I Was Rooting For You’ Beratement of ‘ANTM’ Contestant Tiffany Richardson: “I Went Too Far”
(Photos: Netflix; Instagram; YouTube; UPN)
10 Responses
I just feel so bad for this girl. My heart hurts for her and how painful it probably was to not only go through that experience, but to have the narrative rearranged so that you looked like the perpetrator. Having to wait all that time before the truth finally came out had to be grueling.
Does that mean that guy she had sex with was sexually assaulted too? He was clearly intoxicated as well.
I’m so glad we’re finally looking back on situations like these & calling it what it truly is: a non-consensual sexual act. I just wish it hadn’t traumatized Shandi & by a larger extent so many young people who wound up in these exact same scenarios & blamed themselves/had others blame them for anything that happened.
Shandi was my favorite of all time, all seasons! That episode never sat right with me, especially her reaction the next morning. It seems clear that she was traumatized in a deep way, no matter how they tried to give her the cheating girlfriend edit. Even her reaction on the phone with her boyfriend seemed like she was crying out for help. I always thought that.
They have literal safety nets on the shoots when they are hanging off some dangerous high place just to get the perfect photo. But they have absolutely zero safety nets after hours, after a long day of competition, little or no food, in a new country, given drinks and inviting guys over to their living quarters, all while still filming. She was only there for a modeling competition. It breaks my heart for her. Tyra tried to distance herself by saying…. I think I remember Shandi’s story, but that’s production , and that’s not my area. That’s Bullshit. She’s culpable. When your greed has collateral damage, that blood is on your hands. When you are confronted with it and you act like it’s insignificant, that’s entirely another level of darkness.
Praying that Shandi feels more peace after speaking out her truth.
I never got through most of the seasons because Tyra is such a phony. Janice Dickinson was a hag too.
As someone who has been through a similar SA, I see Shandy. I can’t imagine having the that experience not only spun to make her look like the bad guy but broadcast for the world to see.
Janice was a lot more harsh than Tyra but for some reason she isn’t even close to as much criticism as Tyra is getting.
I didn’t mind the cat fights, the snide comments, the grueling photo shoots, that’s part of the business.
Filming an alcohol black out– The Real World intervened on Ruthie MANY times, so let’s not say “we can’t”, they just didn’t want to.
Shandie was always a favorite, I liked a lot of the girls. She seems sad still but maybe she’ll see some comfort in the support she’s getting.
This show has always been problematic, I knew it before even when I watched it as a young girl. I remember Kim (season 5?) being one of the first openly lesbian reality show contestants at the time when things like this weren’t even talked about really. (I know she had a thing with Sarah on that season but for her it was just a kiss…while Sarah felt like she was in love and even called her boyfriend to tell him she feels confused…my favorite line of Kim? “Straight girls always keep on falling for me.” or sth in that sort. QUEEN.)
Kim was so pretty and was very photogenic. I loved her personality too. The only problem is that she talked behind a lot of the girl’s backs. I remember that scene in the limo when they all confronted her about it.
Tyra is the devil’s apprentice.