Tyra Banks Fat? so What? Former Supermodel Hurt Over Comments of Weight Gain

It seems supermodel Tyra Banks, once the epitome of the Victoria Secret fashion show, and Sports Illustrated cover girl, has become quite upset over comments made about her body now that she's not modeling anymore.

Banks has readily admitted in a People magazine interview, out February 5th, what haters have already poked fun of. She's fluctuated in weight from 148 to 162 pounds, but it's not the end of the world. Attributted to not being a healthy eater, or the freedom of not needing to "live up to that model standard anymore", Banks insists that her body image is fine.

"I've made millions of dollars with the body I have, so where's the pain in that?" she says. "If I was in pain, I would have dieted. The pain is not there - the pain is someone printing a picture of me and saying those (horrible) things."

Tyra was referring to photos of her Australia trip that were posted on various websites. The unflattering pics were of Banks in a one piece, black bathing suit, which apparently did not capture her good side. The negative comments left on the sites got to her. Saying it was a "a strange meanness and rejoicing" taking place in making fun of her, she went on to say that "it was really hurtful to me."

In the People magazine interview, she continued expressing her frustration. "I don't want to sit in front of you and be soap-boxy and fake and say, `I love myself, I'm beautiful, it's great,'" says Tyra. "I still feel hot, but every day is different. It's when I put on the jeans that used to fit a year ago and don't fit now and give me the muffin top, that's when I say, `Damn!'"

Ultimately, Banks can have the last laugh, as she can take comfort in her successful projects not involving her former glamorous career. Since retiring from modeling in 2005, Tyra Banks has gone on to host the syndicated talk program, "The Tyra Banks Show", as well as the competitive game show on the CW network, "America's Next Top Model."

Weight gain is not unusual, and unfortunately, dealing with your self-image and name calling isn't either. Tyra brought this point to light on her talk show in 2006, by donning a synthetic, fat-suit to capture some of the cruelty obese people face day to day. So while some of us will revel in the fact that Tyra's cat calls have now become 'fat' calls, the rest of us can look up to Banks. The upside is these photos remind us that though Banks was a supermodel, she's still human, just like the rest of us.