Tyra Lynne Banks (born December 4, 1973) is an American supermodel, television personality, talk show host, actress, and businessperson. She became famous first as a model in Paris, Milan, London, Tokyo, and New York, but television appearances made her even more so. She is known best as hostess/judge of the reality television show America's Next Top Model since its 2003 debut, and is currently hosting her own Daytime Emmy Award-nominated talk show, The Tyra Banks Show. Banks is one of four African Americans and seven women to have repeatedly ranked among the world's most influential people by Time magazine.

Banks was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of Carolyn (nee London), a fashion manager and medical photographer, and Donald Banks, a computer consultant.The couple divorced in 1980, when Tyra was six, although the relationship of her parents and especially her brother Devin Banks (born 1968) stayed friendly. Later, Carolyn married Clifford Johnson; she now goes

Personal life

In 1993, Banks met Boyz N the Hood director John Singleton through mutual friends. They began dating and in 1995 Banks had her screen debut in the Singleton directed film, Higher Learning. She was criticized for her acting, but Singleton assured she got the part based on her talent and not favoritism. In the spring of 1996 she and Singleton broke it off; shortly thereafter Banks was linked briefly to pop singer Seal, who would incidentally later go on to marry fellow supermodel Heidi Klum.In 2002, Tyra was spotted consistently at Sacramento Kings basketball games, and was later confirmed to be dating their forward Chris Webber. Though their representatives denied it, the two were thought to be engaged. However, after a two-year romance, they broke up in 2004. Banks still harbors some emotions over this relationship, as on the November 8, 2006 episode of The Tyra Banks Show, she broke into tears while speaking about it with Jackie Christie, wife of NBA star Doug Christie. Tyra is currently living in Manhattan/New York City with fellow fashion model and friend Amber Rives since filming for her talk show The Tyra Banks Show moved to being filmed at Chelsea Studios in New York City.