“America’s Next Top Model” alum Shandi Sullivan has accused producers of the hit reality show of turning her sexual assault allegations into a cheating storyline.
Sullivan, 43, reflected on the shocking incident and its aftermath in Netflix’s three-part documentary series Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which will be released on February 16th.
The former contestant claimed that the sexual assault incident occurred in 2003 during a trip to Milan with fellow season two models.
“When I first got there, they said I was going to do a lot of tours,” Sullivan recalled during the documentary, according to People. “It was all day. It took all day. Then we went back to the little house where we were staying.”
But the night took a turn for the worse after several male models were invited to have “dinner” and “wine” with the “ANTM” girls.
“I’m excited to spend the night,” the former Walgreens clerk said. “We were just kind of talking and drinking. I didn’t eat anything and I don’t think I got any sleep.”
“I remember getting in the hot tub. I remember April (Wilkner) and Mercedes (Sherba Choate) getting in the hot tub,” she continued. “And I just remember that guy looking at me. And I looked at him. And I was pretty drunk at that point. Everything after that is a blur.”
Ms Sullivan claimed that one of the male models was “on top” of her and she was “pitch black”. She also claimed that the alleged sexual assault was “all filmed” and “no one did anything to stop it.”
However, the alleged incidents continued to escalate.
“I was devastated,” the former contestant said tearfully as she recalled the incident in Milan. “I think I drank two bottles of wine by myself. I only remember bits and pieces.”
“He threw me in the shower and then he just sat in the shower and we’re in bed,” Sullivan claimed. “Most of the time I blacked out. I didn’t even feel the sex was happening. I just knew it was happening. And then I blacked out.”
It wasn’t until the next morning that Sullivan woke up and “everything hit me” and “it hit me like a flood,” at which point she “just sat there crying.”
Footage from the next morning showed Sullivan crying and saying, “I want to die,” but the sexual assault allegation was attributed to Sullivan cheating on her then-girlfriend, Eric.
Sullivan went on to say that ANTM producers “should have stopped” her and a male model when they came out of the bathtub together. However, executive producer Ken Mok objected to this.
“We treated ‘Top Model’ as a documentary and told the girls that,” he explained of the upcoming documentary series, according to The Independent. “Cameras will be with you 24/7, covering the good, the bad, and everything in between.”
“It was one of the most memorable moments on ‘Top Model,’ for better or worse,” Mok added.
As for Sullivan and her then-boyfriend, they ultimately broke up after Sullivan finished season two in third place behind Shelva Shorte and winner Joanna House.
“After the show, he moved to New York with me. But the worst part was that I was walking down the street with Eric and someone recognized me and called me to my face,” she said.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call our Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-330-0226.
