Tyra Banks Fired For Saying Legacy Should Be Ice Cream, Not Modeling

While many know Tyra Banks As one of the world’s most iconic models, she recently revealed that she wanted her “legacy” to be something completely different: ice cream.

During an interview on “The Jermaine Plane,” the pop culture icon, who has walked the coveted runways from Chanel to Victoria’s Secret, said her passion has always been frozen desserts, noting that she has spent the last few years building and growing her business, “SMiZE & DREAM,” in Sydney, Australia. Yet her recent revelation that she wanted to be known as “the ice cream lady” apparently confused some social media users, prompting them to vent their frustrations about the “weird” mother of one.

Tyra Banks wants her ‘legacy’ to be ‘ice cream’ after launching her unique brand ‘SMiZE & DREAM’

Speaking to host Jermaine D’Vauz on his radio show about how she came up with the idea to start an ice cream business, Banks explained that her love for the delicious dessert stems from her experiences with her mother as a child.

As she continued, Banks reflected on her extensive career, from runway shows to hosting her own talk show, and said her ice cream business “is my passion.”

Banks went further, stating that she would like her company to create such a lasting impression that in “20 years,” when a new generation enters a “SMiZE & DREAM,” they won’t be impressed by her high-profile modeling career.

According to Banks, being known as “the ice cream lady” is a “legacy” that “would be fantastic for me.”

Tyra Banks is proud of her modeling career, but ice cream is where her heart is

Banks, who has broken numerous glass ceilings in the fashion industry alongside other models of color including Naomi Campbell and Beverly Johnson, said she is proud of her career.

Although she recognizes what she has done for other women of color in terms of visibility and opportunities, Banks explained that she was able to distance herself from those accolades and place them in “a museum.”

“But the legacy,” she said. “The real legacy, I want it to be ice cream. That’s really what I want.”

Banks said she feels a different sense of connection with her ice cream business than with her modeling career because she built it from the ground up. “The ice cream, I want it to live forever.”

Fans are done with Tyra Banks and her ‘weird’ behavior

A clip of Banks’ interview was shared on Reddit, sparking numerous responses from users who were unmoved by her statements. In fact, many roasted the mogul while pointing out his past controversies.

“What is she doing? She’s acting so weird,” one user wrote, while another added, “This video just inspired me to catch up on ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ and ‘Potomac.’ There’s that crazy, rich level of self-importance that I think is currently missing in my life and it brings me peace to see it in others.”

A third user wrote: “His legacy [in my opinion] is going to destroy women’s hair on ‘ANTM’ and contribute to 2000s diet culture.”

“Mmm. You can really tell when someone has had every little thought they’ve had over the last decade completely validated and supported by their team,” someone else wrote. “That’s one of the hazards of fame and fortune, I suppose. You end up on another planet (but it’s very rich, so it doesn’t matter).”

Banks says ‘SMiZE & DREAM’ is booming in Sydney

In a separate interview, according to The Blast, Banks spoke about the success of her business, calling it “crazy” before sharing that the support has been overwhelming.

“I never thought this would go viral. I never thought I would be in Mexico and at the opening of a new Cirque du Soleil show and be asked about it. So this is beyond my expectations, and now I have to live up to it,” she said.

“SMiZE & DREAM” is not your traditional frozen dessert; it is described as “hot ice cream”, a warm, sipping treat similar to an ice cream sundae.

Banks says her brand in the fashion industry will be more than ‘ANTM’

Before moving to Sydney, Banks spent several years defending herself against critics for the way she treated some of the “America’s Next Top Model” cast members. In some clips that have resurfaced, women were forced to pose in blackface, and in others, contestants were berated for their weight.

In March 2025, however, Banks hit back at the noise and sought to remind critics that she created a show in the early 2000s that featured women of all kinds. “A time when people in the fashion industry were like, ‘Are you putting local girls in your show?’ I thought to myself, “Why can the girl from the trailer park become a model, but not the girl who hangs out in the neighborhood park?” And we fought and we fought and we did it,” she said.

Banks also admitted that she repeatedly made mistakes and “said stupid shit.” However, she added: “…I refuse to let my legacy be about certain interrelated things on the Internet when there were 24 [seasons] to change the world. »