Life on the runway isn't for everyone. Which winner of "America's Next Top Model"
said "no thanks" to full-time modeling and instead turned to journalism?
Keep watching to find out what these "Top Model" winners are up to now.
Whitney Thompson made "America's Next Top Model" history by becoming the first plus-size
model to win. She went on to be featured in publications like Seventeen and Elle
Canada, and she became a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorders Association in 2010.
"I represent a healthy American woman, which should be the ideal American woman"
The former "Top Model" winner, who now goes by Whitney Thompson Forrester,
is now a blogger and a restaurant owner. Her business The Copper Vault, featuring a café,
opened in 2016, and she later opened Craft 850. She describes her switch to restaurateur life
as "left field." After the cafe's opening, she told The Tennesean:
"It's been busy, and people have been really excited to see us."
In addition to her life as a restaurant owner, Thompson Forrester is a mom to a son,
and she has detailed her postpartum experience on her blog. In one post, she wrote,
"I wish I had more positive things to say about postpartum life, but the only thing
I can bring to the table is that [...] It's 100%, beyond a shadow of a doubt, worth it."
She is married to husband Ian Forrester and currently lives in Tennessee.
McKey Sullivan stood out during Cycle 11 of "America's Next Top Model." Her makeover and
new pixie haircut took her all the way to the finale, and her performance on the show
sealed her win. She gained an impressive portfolio of work during the competition,
and she later walked in New York Fashion Week.
Sullivan has retired from the modeling industry and is now a wife and mom. She and her husband,
MMA fighter Sam Alvey, welcomed their first baby in 2013, and have had four more children.
Sullivan also became an adventurer, having climbed Mount Whitney in August 2020.
According to her social media, Sullivan's mom life keeps her busy. She is also very
supportive of her husband's martial arts career. Her husband Sam told The Press-Enterprise,
"She loves the sport as much as I do and without much prodding on my end [...] she
just started paying attention, studying it and learning the entire mixed martial arts
game. She's very involved in my training and I wouldn't have the record I have without her."
"You have the smallest waist in the world. I mean, look at this waist. And how tall are you?"
"I am 6'2"
"6'2"
"It's hereditary"
Ann Ward received intense media coverage before her cycle of "America's Next Top Model" due to
her thin figure. Despite the judgment she faced, Ward made "Top Model" history by setting the
record for most selected "Best Photos," and she rode that wave all the way to the finale.
She told Vogue Italia,
"At school I was the tallest and the other students always laughed at me.
Now that I've won, I feel self-confident and I don't worry about people judging
me [...] I want to become a model and I'm almost there."
After her win, Ward was featured in Time Out México, Grazia México, and Glow Magazine.
Despite her success, Ward went on to pursue another career path:
concept artist. According to her website,
"Ann Ward is a full time concept artist
and motion designer at the AR and VR advertising agency, Groove Jones."
Her website further noted,
"She also creates characters and art directs show pitches
for the remote animation studio, Theory Studios."
Ward currently lives in Dallas, Texas.
"America's Next Top Model" Cycle 1 winner,
Adrianne Curry set the standard for the series, and she used her win to pursue other television
endeavors. Curry appeared on "The Surreal Life," where she met her first husband,
former child actor Christopher Knight. Due to their marriage, she was a pivotal part of
"My Fair Brady," a VH1 reality show that followed Knight in his life after fame.
Their marriage fell apart just before their five-year anniversary, as reported by E! News.
Curry said on Howard Stern's radio show before the split,
"My big joke now is, 'I'm Mrs. Knight the third and probably not the last.
You know, cause I always tell him, 'I understand, now, why they left you.'"
According to her blog, America's first Next Top Model eventually,
quote, "grew jaded" of the Hollywood industry and left for a more peaceful
life. She has since remarried, and she works as a successful Avon salesperson
in Montana and is enjoying life out of the spotlight. She told HuffPost,
"I would advise anyone trying to get on a show to really think about the consequences."
"America's Next Top Model" winner Nicole Linkletter quickly earned praise from some of the
modeling industry's biggest names after her Cycle 5 win. According to "Top Model" host Tyra Banks,
"She's got that 'It' thing."
And famed model Twiggy said,
"She has that magical something that you can't quite put your finger on."
And J. Alexander said that,
"[Linkletter] stood out — even in her most boring moments!"
After her success, Linkletter said in her Elle feature,
"I want to do everything! But I'm not going to lose sight of who I am."
After her win, Linkletter appeared as a judge at a Miss USA pageant, participated in a 2006
runway show for Alice + Olivia, and appeared in issues of Nylon Mexico and Marie Claire.
She has since married and become a mom of two. In addition to her busy life, Linkletter runs a
blog called No Way Mama, named after her son's first words, though she hasn't posted in years.
She writes about family, food, and travel, sharing stories from Israel and Barcelona.
Brittani Kline stood out from her competitors on Cycle 16 due to her steely eyes and one of
the best makeovers on "America's Next Top Model." She went on to win "Top Model," scoring a photo
shoot with Italian Vogue and a front cover feature with the magazine's Beauty in Vogue supplement.
Her career as a model brought professional success, including runway appearances with Prabal
Gurung and Balenciaga , as well as editorial features with Vogue Mexico and Elle Vietnam.
But in 2017, Kline announced that she was leaving the modeling industry,
crediting her decision to the stresses of the business. She shared in an Instagram post,
"As many of you should know, it's not as glamorous as it appears."
"So you left the set because?"
"I'm having a panic attack I can't really talk."
"You're having a panic attack?"
After stepping out of the not-so-glamorous modeling life, Kline went on to receive her
Bachelor's degree in foreign language and English from Lock Haven University,
and she has since pursued a quieter life. She's a mom to her son, Rowan. In addition
to her life with Rowan and partner Erik, Kline has become very politically engaged and often
shares her perspective with her followers. In a December 2021 Instagram post, Kline said,
"I'm working in a communications job that I enjoy AND that regularly pays
me with benefits while also being able to focus on whatever matters to me."
Cycle 12 winner Teyona Anderson stunned throughout her season. After winning the
"America's Next Top Model" title, Anderson went on to have a successful international
modeling career. She walked in South Africa Fashion Week and the Arise Cape Town Fashion Week.
But Anderson has since traded modeling for motherhood, and she actively shares
insights into her life. She has been open about struggles she has faced as a mom,
revealing her son's diagnosis with autism on Instagram in August 2020. She wrote,
"Anderson was diagnosed with Autism in April. Since then we've been adjusting
our life and this boy has been a champ! Some days are not easy but we make it
through. [...] I've been learning everyday that no matter where he falls on the spectrum
there's no shame in being on the spectrum."
In addition to her role as a mom, the "Top Model" winner is very vocal about racial and social
justice, encouraging others to vote and voicing her outrage over the killing of Breonna Taylor.
Yoanna House became Cycle 2's winner of "America's Next Top Model," but
she didn't have the easiest transition after the series ended. She told Vulture,
"After the first two or three years, I wanted people to forget the show.
My friends would get so livid because we'd be out and people would say,
'That's the girl from the show.' They would yell, 'She's doing other things now!'"
Despite distancing herself from the show, House continued to work as a model and booked
16 covers in 2014 alone. However, she found her true calling in television production,
and she stepped both in front of and behind the camera as a
producer and as the host of shows like "The Look for Less" and "Queen Bees."
She has since become a mom to her son, Alastair. She wrote in an Instagram post,
"Being mom to a boy is something special [...] I told you that I
might make mistakes along the way... but my intentions are always pure and
you're my proudest achievement. Love you to the moon and back, sweet son."
Keith Carlos made "America's Next Top Model" history by becoming the first man to ever win
the show. His win catapulted him into the modeling world, and he went on to walk for Giorgio Armani,
Betsy Johnson, and Civil Society, among others. He dabbled in entertainment,
and acting followed. He even starred in Cardi B's music video for her hit song "Be Careful."
He has since become the co-founder of Dream Katchers, along with Matthew Smith,
a company that specializes in content creation and event planning. He is very active on Instagram,
and he partners with brands to promote to his 1 million followers,
including jewelry line Girlfriend Box, Bang Energy, and FashionNova Men.
Often featured on Carlos' social media accounts are photos and videos of his son, showing their
sweet bond. The two actually appeared on an episode of "Young and the Restless" together!
"Oh my God. She was caught in the act!"
"I washed a plate. First time! I washed a plate today. Whoo!"
Beautiful Brit Sophie Sumner was not a stranger to reality modeling shows when she appeared on Cycle
18 of "America's Next Top Model." Having been the runner-up on "Britain's Next Top Model" in 2009,
Sumner came to the Tyra Banks-hosted competition as a part of the "British
Invasion" season and won. According to Oxford Mail,
Sumner put off an acceptance to study drama at Exeter University to pursue her modeling career.
But since her win, Sumner has evolved as a professional. She has interviewed
the likes of Daniel Jones, creator of "Modern Love" for The New York Times,
among others. In June 2020, she shared her first written piece
with The Daily Front Row – a review of an organic meal program — on Instagram.
In addition to her written work, Sumner hosts a social media show called "So
Sophie" where she discusses fashion, films, and lifestyle. In January 2020,
she announced on Instagram that she was working on a television show proposal. She wrote,
"Hopefully, this all pays off and I will see you on Netflix this 2020"
"America's Next Top Model" star Lisa D'Amato is known for being a
contestant during Cycle 5 and for winning the all-stars season. After "Top Model," she went
on to make reality show appearances in the 2010s, including on "Marriage Boot Camp."
D'Amato married her husband, entrepreneur Adam Friedman,
in September 2012. She told Us Weekly that even though she had never believed in marriage before,
"[The wedding] went far and beyond my expectations of what love and life can bring."
She became a mom to son Daxel in 2013 and son Venice in 2016.
While D'Amato may not have a traditional life — she's had a music career, lives in the Hollywood
Castle, and became the richest "America's Next Top Model" contestant — she did pursue a normal
career venture by becoming an entrepreneur. She founded a children's bib line, Dare-U-Go,
that features bibs with three food compartments that turn into sealable storage containers.
She pitched the product on "Shark Tank" and struck a deal with Barbara Corcoran.
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