Miss J Alexander On Who Showed Up For Him After His Stroke

Miss J Alexander claims that Tyra Banks has yet to visit him following the stroke that left him wheelchair-bound in 2022.

The former “America’s Next Top Model” judge opened up about where he stands with his former boss in the newly-released Netflix docuseries, “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.”

In the emotional reveal, Miss J confirmed that former co-stars Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker did show up at his hospital bedside to support him during his recovery.

And as the runway icon continues to reflect on his healing journey, speculation is also mounting about the possible return to television of “ANTM.”

Miss J’s misfortune began on December 27, 2022, when he suffered a stroke that rendered him unable to walk.

Speaking in the new Netflix docuseries, he recalled the traumatic events. “I had a stroke,” he said. “I woke up, I didn’t know where I was, other than the hospital.”

Revealing the full gravity of the ordeal, Miss J explained that he spent more than a month in a coma.

“I spent five weeks in a coma. I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t talk,” he recounted.

The model also addressed his relationship with Banks, noting that although she expressed interest in visiting, she has yet to do so.

“She just sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me,” said Miss J. “But no, not yet.”

While Miss J says Banks has yet to come check in on him, the beloved runway coach has not been without support from old “ANTM” colleagues.

Among those said to have visited him during the early days of his recovery are Manuel and Barker.

Both “America’s Next Top Model” alumni reflected on the emotional toll of seeing their longtime friend hospitalized.

“It was just such a terrible shock, and really upsetting and horrifying and scary,” Barker said. “I don’t know whether he even wanted me to see him in that way.”

Despite the severity of his condition, creators of the Netflix series say Miss J made one thing clear during production: he didn’t want to be portrayed as a figure of pity.

Directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan recalled meeting the former “America’s Next Top Model” judge for the first time after his stroke.

In an interview with Netflix Tudum, Sivan explained that their early conversations shaped the way his story was ultimately told in the series.

“What was important is not framing Miss J as a survivor,” the director said. “He is not his health. First and foremost, he’s a diva who just shattered every single glass ceiling.”

Another bombshell to emerge from “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” was Banks’s suggestion that the show may be headed back to television.

“I feel like my work is not done. You have no idea what we have planned for cycle 25,” Banks said, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The long-running modeling competition wrapped its 24th cycle in April 2018. A few years later, Banks was already expressing interest in bringing the show back to air.

“I feel that we should at least end at 25,” Banks told ABC in 2020. “We’re seeing if that could happen.”

In “Reality Check,” Miss J reunites with Manuel and Barker, as the trio reminisces on their years in the “ANTM” spotlight.

The veteran judge grew emotional while acknowledging that he no longer commands the runway the way he once did.

But despite the physical challenges he continues to face, Miss J made it clear that he has no intention of letting his story end there.

“I’m the person who taught models how to walk,” he said. “I taught models how to walk, and now I can’t walk… Not yet. [But] I’m determined to walk. I’m sure you’re going to see me again. It’s not over for me yet.”