Biography
American model, the first
black model to appear on the cover of a "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit
issue and the first black woman to be featured on the cover of the
"Victoria's Secret" catalog.
Tyra’s parents divorced when she was six. Her mother read to her when
she was a young child, and as she grew older, reading became an enduring
passion. She was a good student who earned good grades despite being
quite mischievous and often in trouble, usually for excessive talking
during class. She recalls thinking that she was much smarter than her
teachers, and she often challenged their authority. Although extroverted
and popular with lots of friends until age 11, she then went through a
major growth spurt. Feeling awkward in her new taller, slimmer body, she
withdrew into her love of books, and it wasn’t until age 17 that her
self-esteem improved. While still in high school, she made plans to
attend Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, but instead the Elite
Modeling Agency discovered her and signed her to an exclusive contract.
Quickly becoming one of the most desired models of the 1990s, Tyra moved
to Paris for a year. Working with top designers like Ralph Lauren,
Chanel and Oscar de la Renta, her fame quickly grew. Eventually she
decided to add acting to her resume, and she landed roles in "Higher
Learning" "Love Change," and “Coyote Ugly” as well as guest spots on
television sitcoms like "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." Naturally
athletic, Tyra loves to play tennis, golf, volleyball and basketball,
and she adores snorkeling. She craves variety in her workouts so her
exercise sessions sometimes consist of long hikes in the mountains or
runs at the beach.
The supermodel became host of a new day-time TV talk show that made its
debut in September 2005, created and hosted “America’s Next Top Model”
and wrote a book “Tyra's Beauty Inside an Out” (1998). Not even 35 years
old, her personal wealth has been estimated at over $8 million. While
she has been romantically linked with several men over the years, she
has not yet married. She says children are important to her, not
marriage.
Tyra, who is very protective of her privacy, adores children and
animals. She is an advocate for education and literacy, and her Kid
success greeting cards are sold through an organization dedicated to
helping abused and neglected children. Her other concern is the
environment, and she has made an effort to bring the world’s attention
to the destruction of our rainforests.
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