Eva Marcille credits ANTM for her career but stunned by docuseries explosive claims

Eva Marcille, the Cycle 3 winner of America’s Next Top Model, has revealed she was stunned by the revelations in Netflix’s new docuseries, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, calling the experience “gobsmacking.”

Speaking on CBS Mornings on Thursday, Marcille, 41, admitted she had no idea about the controversial behind-the-scenes events documented in the series. 

“I was in awe … my mouth was wide open,” she said. “To be a part of a club, and not know what’s going on in the club is crazy.”

Marcille, who competed under her maiden name Eva Pigford, said she was not approached to participate in the documentary. 

While her win was mentioned briefly, the series primarily revisits the show’s more contentious moments, including allegations of body-shaming, racially insensitive challenges, and the emotional toll on contestants.

“Being that I was the shortest girl on my season, and a Black girl at that, it’s unheard of in modeling. It will never happen again,” Marcille reflected, recalling how improbable her victory once seemed.

The docuseries highlights former contestants’ claims of bullying, pressured photo shoots, and experiences that contributed to long-term challenges such as eating disorders and traumatic medical procedures. 

One of the most serious revelations came from Cycle 2 runner-up Shandi Sullivan, who recounted being a victim of sexual assault on set. Marcille described these accounts as “horrible, horrible.”

Acknowledging the producers’ role, Marcille explained, “That environment could not exist without producers aiding and embedding what was going on. 

"Households, I mean, I don’t know what is going on in someone’s life unless the producers tell me. It’s part of how this works.”

Reflecting on her own experience, Marcille said the show initially felt like a platform to achieve her modeling dreams. 

“We were kids trying to find our dreams realized and actualized by a woman who believed she could do it for us,” she said. “It was a television show, I learned later, with a competition in it. But it was absolutely a TV show.”