A former contestant on Tyra Banks’ ostensibly model-making reality TV show America’s Next Top Model has revealed her experience on the show was anything but glamorous. Brittany Brower, who competed on the show’s 4th season, alleges that she and her fellow model hopefuls not only have never been paid for their time on the show, but that she was in a worse financial position after the show ended despite her success. The model’s comments come at a time when creatives in adjacent industries are criticizing studios for not paying them adequately for their hard work.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Brower stated that the girls on her season “were not paid. [They] were paid zero,” other than a per diem of a “few hundred dollars” that went toward groceries. While fans of the show frequently contact Brower to tell her they love her on the show, she says she receives “absolutely nothing” despite being part of one of ANTM‘s most watched seasons. “Yes, we signed up for it, I just want to be compensated for it,” she told the publication.
After the show, Brower moved to Los Angeles in pursuit of a modeling career, but found herself facing more hurdles than anticipated. Despite her success — Brower made it to the final four on her season — she was maxing out her credit card in order to pay her bills, while many designers didn’t want to cast someone associated with ANTM. “People think that you do this stuff and you’re going to make some money from it… not enough to really live and survive,” she said, admitting that she was in a better financial position than some of her fellow contestants, as she had help from her parents while on set.
“I was gunning for a career afterward. I got some bookings, sure, but I must be honest, some things I wasn’t able to book because I was on Top Model and the designer didn’t want that kind of look. It wasn’t all positive.
I moved immediately to LA after the show with a credit card that I was actually maxing out. I was in more debt than when I started. I was making enough so I could pay off my bills and my rent.”
Unscripted content is expected to pick up the brunt of television programming amid the concurrent SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. Brower is the latest reality star to call attention to how unscripted performers are unfairly compensated for their work; The Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel recently called for her fellow reality TV stars to unionize and go on strike until their fair compensation is assured, admitting she was paid a little over $7000 for the first season of her show and receives no residuals.
It’s a sentiment Brower echoes. “It’s crazy we’re in 2023 and there’s zero protection for reality stars,” she said about the lack of guaranteed residuals and a living wage for reality talent. “If you’re going to use us and exploit us, you better be paying us.” Like Frankel, Brower hopes bigger names like the Kardashians will bolster their cause in order to protect future reality stars. “This is who needs to be protected, as well as hopefully getting some retroactive compensation.”
