America’s Next Top Model alum Angelea Preston opened up about how being stripped of her title due to past work as an escort has led to her speaking out about the larger issue of exploitation in the modeling industry.
“I want people to hear my perspective on what happened to me because I haven’t talked about it in this context,” Preston, 39, exclusively told Us Weekly about her participation in E!’s Dirty Rotten Scandals. “In my personal life, people have asked me about it in the past. But to talk about it on this platform … I think it’s important to open up conversations and open up dialogue about things that may not be so easy to talk about.”
Preston noted how trafficking specifically takes place in the industry — especially to those just starting out.
“I want to shine a light on the unsavory things that take place after modeling. It’s a slippery slope where these ugly things can happen,” she noted. “They don’t happen all the time. But for younger people — men and women — this can happen to you.”
After being a semifinalist on cycle 12 and placing third on cycle 14, Preston returned and won cycle 17 before being disqualified and stripped of her title after it was made known that she had once worked as an escort. Preston, for her part, has since spoken out about being taken advantage of by an unnamed man, which led to her being assaulted on numerous occasions before she was able to escape the situation.
“They were holding my past against me [on the show]. There are people that have been in similar situations that are fans of the show. What is that saying to them?” Preston told Us. “To be trafficked and to go through these awful things, that’s not OK. It made me feel like I had committed first-degree murder — just the way I was treated after the show and being lied to and being told they were going to help.”
Preston’s win was ultimately walked back when America’s Next Top Model re-filmed the finale.
“I was ashamed to even talk about the real reason why they had taken my title and my winnings away from me. I was ashamed because that’s just not something that you’re proud to say. For a while I did blame myself,” she recalled. “I just got myself into the situation and I didn’t know how to get out. Even thinking about it right now, I want to tear up because I was just at such a low point in my life where I felt that it was rock bottom for me.”
Producers — including Tyra Banks — have declined to address Preston’s claims over the years. Michelle Mock, who was the show’s long-time supervising talent producer, previously addressed Preston’s comments about her disqualification.
“There’s really nothing I can add to Angelea’s story as this happened 10 years ago and it has already been reported on extensively,” she told Bustle in 2024. “On a personal note, I thought Angelea was a wonderful addition to ANTM. She was talented and charismatic. … I wish her nothing but the best in her future.”
Similar to her fellow America’s Next Top Model contestants, Preston has struggled with the aftermath of taking part in the show.
“There’s this public perception about how this show does so much for the girls and how the people who are involved in the show care about the girls. That didn’t happen. There’s no communication after [you finish your season],” she told Us. “You are set along to just do your own thing. Everybody who participated in the show has these great and amazing careers from the judges to the talent but not the contestants. We should have also been gifted and had that as well. But a lot of us were just left to figure it out on our own.”
Preston ultimately found success since her time on America’s Next Top Model after graduating top of her class from Buffalo State University. She started working in journalism, became an on-air host for NPR affiliate WBFO, won awards for her coverage and has plans to address her time on ANTM in more detail.
“My book will be out this summer. I’ve been happy for a while now about where my life is now because had things happened the way that I thought they were supposed to be, I wouldn’t be in my career now,” she said. “I am telling stories from people in my community that you may not see on TV, which for me is giving marginalized communities the spotlight they deserve. That’s been very meaningful work and it doesn’t pay much at all but I love it.”
Dirty Rotten Scandals: America’s Next Top Model airs March 11 at 9 p.m. ET, with Dirty Rotten Scandals: The Price is Right premiering on March 18.
