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Tyra Banks stepped out in NYC for the 2024 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue launch party, where she spoke to “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi.
Tyra was part of the Legends covers for the 60th anniversary, and she broke the news that she is considering a return to the runway and getting back into more modeling!
“I modeled for the shoot,” she said. “I don’t feel like I’m modeling, but people keep telling me that I should do it again, so I’m thinking about maybe doing it, like, runway and stuff. We’ll see.”
She smiled, “I haven’t said that to anybody. ‘Extra,’ you are the only people on this whole red carpet that I said that I’m thinking about really, really modeling, like, for real for real, like, fashion shows and, like, covers of magazines that are not Sports Illustrated.”
Banks joked, “Hope that my hip is here for it and let’s hope that I can get the right lighting so the front of my thighs with the cellulite is not showing as much. We’ve come a long way when it comes to beauty empowerment and inclusivity, but y’all will still hate on me in the comments about the cellulite on the front of my thighs.”
She said of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit celebrating 60 years, “It feels crazy, like, I’m 50 and it is 60. It means it started when I was 10, right? I love being, like, somewhat like the older model on set. I don’t know why I do, but I feel like a sage. I feel like the Oprah of modeling you, know what I mean? I feel like I’ve been here, I can teach you guys things. So it feels, it feels really good.”
Saying she really did give out advice, “One of the models, I won’t say her name, very famous, she’s on this cover, she wanted a mentoring session… I think it was the morning before the shoot, we had an hour breakfast at the hotel and I just gave her advice, really deep, deep advice, career advice on how to take her stuff to even the next level… She’s like, ‘Thank you so much, thank you so much.’ I’m like, ‘No, thank you! You make me feel like I have something to offer to help you, so it makes me feel good.’”
Tyra also reflecting on recently turning 50, “Besides my freaking hip that is killing my ass, oh my gosh, so that is the one thing. I have sciatica, and I could not walk more than 100 meters without, like, sitting down. I got really sad and I was just eating a lot and just finally got an epidural in my back, and now I can kind of walk better, getting in shape again. So that’s the only thing I don’t like about 50 is like when you hurt yourself it takes a lot to get back, but other than that, oh my God, I feel freedom.”
She added, “I say what I feel a lot more, it feels good.”
And getting real, “A lot more cellulite, though. I used to only have cellulite on the back. Now I got cellulite on the front.”
Tyra also explained how she recently had her first alcoholic beverage. She recalled, “A couple of days after my birthday and I finally had a whole drink, and then I stood up and the room went and then it stopped swirling and then I walked out and I was fine… I was like, ‘I’m I supposed to feel like I’m flying? Isn’t that what alcohol is supposed to do?’ I don’t know, so it didn’t do that for me, but I did have some champagne on the airplane on the way here for this party and I feel so elegant. I’m holding and I feel like, I feel elegant.”