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Nigel Barker says Tyra Banks wasn't a part of the process of creating the brand-new America's Next Top Model documentary
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE, Barker said Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model initially began as a way for Miss J Alexander to create a documentary about his life and ANTM
"Tyra didn't even produce anything," Barker shares
Nigel Barker is opening up about how he got involved with the brand-newAmerica's Next Top Modeldocumentary — and according to the photographer, starTyra Bankswasn't a part of the process.
Speaking exclusively with PEOPLE about his participation inReality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model,Barker, 53, shares that Banks, 52, was not involved in the creation of the series, despite her appearing in the project.
"What people often don't realize is that this documentary series, the whole thing started out ofMiss J Alexander talking about wanting to do a documentary on himself and his life andTop Model. And he invitedJay [Manuel]and me to be a part of it," Barker tells PEOPLE. "That's actually how it started. Tyra and everything else had nothing to do with it."
"We had talked about this project ... doing some sort of film and shoot with Jay five months before we even heard that Netflix was going to get involved with it," Barker explains. "So that's actually the way this whole thing started."
According to the photographer, rumors quickly began to float around about Banks producing the Netflix documentary — but he clarifies that "Tyra didn't even produce anything."
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"They in fact asked me to get Tyra to be on the show," he claims. "I mean, they were contacting me, texting me, 'Do you know any way to get through to Tyra? We'd like to get her on the show.' So she had nothing to do with any of it."
"It was not her idea, nor was she a producer, and [she] came on really as well towards the end, not at the beginning when we were talking about this," Barker adds. "... There's a lot of misinformation out there, as there always is with these things."
Multiple models involved in the documentary also confirmed to PEOPLE that they were unaware of Banks' participation until the first trailer was released. Models reported to PEOPLE that they filmed for the project about a year ago.
Netflix did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
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Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, a three-episode Netflix docuseries, chronicles the hit reality show's many controversies and features commentary from host and creatorBanks. It was released on Feb. 16.
Top Modelhas come under firein recent years for some questionable photo shoots — including using blackface in a challenge where contestants were made to portray races and ethnicities outside of their own — as well as allegations ofsexual assault, body shaming and promoting unhealthy lifestyle choices among contestants. In the Netflix docuseries, Banks and the otherAmerica's Next Top Modelpersonalities weighed in on those controversial moments, revealing everything from their reasoning to their regrets.
Barker tells PEOPLE that he thinks "people are going to be very surprised by what they see" on the Netflix series.
"When I watched it, I was taken aback by a lot of what I heard," he reveals. "I even called Jay Manuel and said, 'Wow, you and I are friends. I didn't even know half of what you even said on the show and on how it affected you. I wish you had told me because I would've been there more for you.'"
In the documentary, Manuel opens up about hisfalling out with Banks, as well as his feelings around the race-swapping photo shoot.
"He was like, 'Well, I wanted to protect Tyra, and we were such good friends, and when things would happen, I tried to just compartmentalize.' And he's a pretty trustworthy guy and doesn't say things out of turn or just to gossip. That was never his way," Barker tells PEOPLE.
According to the photographer, the series features "joyous moments, crazy moments and ... a lot of real eye-opening moments."
"There's some real tragedy, I think, about things that happened that shouldn't have happened and wouldn't happen today probably. And if they did, it would be really bad. Things that happened then that really shouldn't have happened and I don't approve of, and I wouldn't have approved of now, if I had really known what was happening."
Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Modelis streaming now on Netflix.
Read the original article onPeople
