Years after they left ANTM, Miss J Alexander and Jay Manuel returned to the limelight in 2026 with the release of Netflix’s Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. The three-part documentary series directed by Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan examines the highs and lows of the beauty competition across its 24 cycles. Reality Check addressed the major controversies that plagued the reality game show, featuring interviews with key players, including Tyra Banks, who created and presented the show.
Since the final cycle concluded in April 2018, the creator has been quite busy on television. She hosted three seasons of Dancing with the Stars while appearing on shows like Celebrity Watch Party, Insecure, and Hollywood Squares. Later in 2023, she left the United States for Australia, where she launched sMiZe & Dream, her ice cream company. Tyra Banks has fared well since ANTM wrapped up. Can the same be said of her costars? Where are Miss J Alexander and Jay Manuel?
What Happened To Miss J Alexander After America’s Next Top Model?
@miss_jalexander #duet with @lovecocojo GoodMorning Afternoon and Evening friends and fans we all love @lovecocojo for this Thank You..💋
The American model from the South Bronx, New York, was part of America’s Next Top Model from the very beginning. Miss J Alexander and Banks had been close friends for years when she invited him to be a part of the reality beauty competition. He served as one of the show’s judges, alongside working as a runway coach from 2003 to 2015. In a shake-up to restructure the show after cycle 18, Miss J Alexander, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker were dismissed in 2014. However, he returned in 2014 for cycle 21 and left for good after cycle 22.
Miss J Alexander remained active in show business after leaving America’s Next Top Model. He appeared in multiple television shows, including international versions of Top Model, I Supermodel III, The Bachelorette, and For Real: The Story of Reality TV. But none of them were as significant as her time on ANTM. In addition to his television appearances, Miss J lectured at the Savannah College of Art and Design. As of February 2026, he’s still active but hasn’t fully recovered from a health problem he suffered in 2022.
The ANTM judge had a stroke in December 2022, which left him in a coma for over a month. He’s still recovering from the 2022 medical emergency, which left him incapacitated. Miss J Alexander spoke about this in the Netflix documentary, admitting that he didn’t know what to do with himself. “…I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t speak, it was emotional. I cried, I’m not ashamed to say that I cried,” he divulged. “I miss being the queen of the runway,” Miss J continued, “I’m the person who taught models how to walk… and now I can’t walk.”
Jay Manuel’s Life After America’s Next Top Model
@nickviall THE king of glam, Jay Manuel, on the Viall Files. Out tomorrow! #antm #realitycheck #mrjay #jaymanuel #netflix
Jay Manuel served as a creative director and occasional judge during his time on America’s Next Top Model. His unceremonious departure from the show ruined his relationship with Banks, and they haven’t been able to salvage the situation. Manuel has often expressed his displeasure over the circumstances surrounding his exit. He had decided to leave the show earlier but was persuaded to remain, only to be fired thereafter. The Canadian was particularly unhappy about how the news of their axing was leaked to the media, denying them the dignity of continuing their careers with grace.
After leaving the show, Jay Manuel appeared in several television shows, including Fashion News Live, Holiday Crafters Gone Wild, and The ReidOut. None was as huge as America’s Next Top Model, so he turned his attention to other endeavors. He launched a beauty line, Jay Manuel Beauty, and dabbled in writing, among other things. Manuel published his first novel, The Wig, The Bitch and the Meltdown, in August 2020. He promoted the book as “a satirical look behind the scenes of a fictional, reality model competition show.”
Miss J Alexander And Jay Manuel Also Launched A Live Series About Their Time On ANTM
@whosdoingthis It’s time to spill the tea! ANTM’s Mr Jay Manuel and Miss J Alexander discuss all the juicy BTS gossip and secrets from America’s Next Top Model. Tune in each week on Instagram LIVE by following @mrjaymanuel + @MissJAlexander on Fridays at 12pm ET/9am PT
Months before Jay Manuel published his book, he co-launched a weekly series with Miss J Alexander. The Instagram Live series dwelled on their experiences on America’s Next Top Model and gained some traction on other social platforms like Facebook and YouTube. The duo has remained good friends, but their relationship with Banks remains tainted. This was obvious in the Netflix documentary.
Banks refused to discuss how things are between her and Manuel, just as Miss J disclosed that Banks has yet to visit him since he suffered a stroke. “She sent me a text that she wants to come and visit me, but no, not yet,” he said. Check out what happened to Dating Naked UK Season 2 winners, Rico Hammett and Lauren Louise.
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