Tyra Banks, 52, Says She Is Single and Dating Again in HOT 97 Interview
Tyra Banks told radio host Nessa she is single and open to love at 52, after years linked to businessman Louis Bélanger-Martin. She also discussed the viral revival of her novel Modelland and what she now wants in a partner.
Tyra Banks, the 52-year-old supermodel and media mogul, said in a radio interview with Nessa on HOT 97 that she is single and has returned to dating.
The admission is notable because Banks was linked for years to Canadian businessman Louis Bélanger-Martin.
The conversation lasted nearly an hour. Much of it focused on the unexpected viral revival of her 2011 novel, "Modelland." Talk then turned to relationships and finding love later in life.
"I think that it's never too late to start again," Banks said. "I'm a single woman now, right? I'm 52 years old and I'm single."
She said she had written romance off for a while. "I've got my mom, I've got my son… and I'm good," she recalled thinking, adding that she "didn't even have like a drive." That has changed: "Now I'm like, 'You know what? It is not too late.'"
Her priorities in a partner have shifted too. "When I was young... he just had to be fine as hell, man. He just had to be pretty," she said. Now she still wants to be attracted to him, but he "doesn't have to be like a supermodel kind of guy." What matters most, she said, is "somebody that is present."
Past relationships
Banks had been linked to Bélanger-Martin since around 2018. The couple largely kept the romance private, though she spoke warmly of his support during an earlier appearance on "TODAY."
She did not mention him by name in the new interview. She also did not say when the relationship ended.
Before that, Banks dated photographer Erik Asla. They share a son, York, who was born via surrogate in 2016. The couple split in 2017.
Work and legal dispute
Banks has stayed busy. She returned to fashion television as a recurring judge on "Project Runway."
She is also in a legal dispute with Netflix over its documentary "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model." Netflix and the producers have denied wrongdoing.
"Modelland" returned to shelves on November 3, 15 years after its original release, following its viral revival. An audiobook version is also available, with Banks voicing all 50-plus characters.
"There is no such thing as, 'Oh, it has to be over because of an age or because you're just done,'" Banks said. "So I'm living my femininness right now."
