5 Shocking Ways Tyra Banks Is Redefining Her Legacy In 2025 (Plus, The $3 Million Ice Cream Lawsuit)
Tyra Banks: Complete Biography Profile
Tyra Banks has transitioned from one of the world's most recognizable supermodels to a powerful media executive, producer, and business owner. Her career is marked by a relentless pursuit of reinvention, moving seamlessly between high fashion, television, and consumer products.
- Full Name: Tyra Lynne Banks
- Known As: Tyra Banks, BanX
- Date of Birth: December 4, 1973
- Age (as of late 2025): 52
- Place of Birth: Inglewood, California, U.S.
- Education: Harvard Business School (Executive Education program)
- Primary Career Fields: Modeling, Television Personality, Producer, Entrepreneur, Author, Actress
- Iconic Projects: *America's Next Top Model* (Creator/Host), *The Tyra Banks Show* (Host), Victoria's Secret Angel, *Dancing with the Stars* (Former Host)
- Current Ventures (2025 Focus): Smize & Dream (Hot Ice Cream), Music Career, Production, Public Speaking
- Recent Major Recognition: Luminary Spotlight Award (2025 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood)
1. The Viral 'Hot Ice Cream' Empire and the $3 Million Lawsuit
Perhaps the most unexpected and buzz-worthy venture for Tyra Banks in 2025 is her continued focus on the food industry with her company, Smize & Dream. The brand is centered around a revolutionary concept: "Hot Ice Cream." This unique product, which features a molten, warm center inside a scoop of ice cream, has generated significant media attention and curiosity.
In December 2025, the company launched a highly publicized, viral pop-up experience at Artechouse NYC, allowing fans and curious consumers to sample the product. Banks, who is a Harvard alumna, has positioned Smize & Dream not just as a dessert company but as a dream-fulfillment brand, often sharing her vision for the future of the company.
However, this entrepreneurial journey has hit a major snag. Reports indicate that Banks and her business are facing a nearly $3 million lawsuit over unpaid rent related to a previous Smize & Dream location. The legal battle, which involves the entity "School of Smize LLC," highlights the intense challenges of scaling a unique consumer product business, even for a high-profile figure like Tyra Banks. The litigation has become a major talking point, intertwining her business aspirations with high-stakes legal drama.
2. Major Awards and a Striking New Look
Tyra Banks' influence as a media mogul and entrepreneur continues to be recognized by the industry. In 2025, she was honored with the prestigious Luminary Spotlight Award at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood ceremony. This award acknowledges her long-standing impact on both the fashion and entertainment worlds, celebrating her ability to break barriers and create new pathways for women of color.
Beyond her professional accolades, Banks has also sparked significant online discussion about her personal appearance and views on aging. She captivated attendees at the 2025 Fashion L.A. Awards with a striking new look that immediately went viral. At 52, the former supermodel's appearance is often scrutinized, and her recent stylistic choices and candid discussions about beauty standards continue to showcase her flair for turning heads and generating buzz. Fans and critics alike are constantly analyzing her "drastic new look," fueling the ongoing conversation about celebrity aging and transformation.
3. The Pivot to Music: Aiming to Be the "Princess of Christmas"
In a surprising career twist, Tyra Banks has also entered the music industry with a bold ambition: to be crowned the "Princess of Christmas." Banks is actively promoting a new Christmas song, signaling a serious pivot into a new creative field. This move demonstrates her characteristic willingness to embrace new challenges and media platforms, a trait that has defined her entire career, from the runway to television production. This musical endeavor adds another layer to the already dense portfolio of the multi-hyphenate star.
4. Reflecting on ANTM and the Victoria's Secret Show
While focused on new ventures, Tyra Banks is also reflecting on her past iconic roles. In a December 2025 interview with *Marie Claire España*, she discussed the cultural impact of *America's Next Top Model* (*ANTM*). Banks acknowledged that *ANTM* was a "cultural moment" and often contemplates what she would change if she were to relaunch the show today to adapt it to the "new era" of fashion and media. This suggests that a future production role in the modeling competition space remains a possibility, even if a direct *ANTM* relaunch is not imminent.
Additionally, the supermodel made headlines by explaining her absence from the 2025 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. After making a highly celebrated return to the catwalk in 2024, Banks revealed the reasons for not walking in the 2025 show, further fueling the public's enduring fascination with her relationship with the iconic lingerie brand and her status as a former Victoria's Secret Angel.
5. Tyra Banks' Unstoppable Entrepreneurial Spirit
Tyra Banks’ current activities in 2025 clearly show that she is far more than a retired supermodel. Her life is a masterclass in modern entrepreneurship and media literacy. She is simultaneously running a unique food business (Smize & Dream), navigating a $3 million lawsuit, accepting major industry awards, launching a music career, and managing her public image through high-profile appearances and interviews. Her continued relevance is a testament to her ability to constantly reinvent her brand, moving from the runway to the boardroom and now, to the freezer aisle and the recording studio. The story of Tyra Banks now is one of an unstoppable media mogul who uses every aspect of her life—from a viral food trend to a legal battle—to stay firmly in the cultural spotlight.
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