‘America’s Top Model’ Alum Adrianne Curry on the Offer That Drove Her Away

Adrianne Curry, the first-ever winner of America’s Next Top Model, has not pursued modeling or acting for years, and she has no regrets about her decision. Curry was once seen as an unexpected success story in the modeling world, with Tyra Banks and the show’s judges predicting stardom for her. However, Curry has chosen a quieter life in Montana, far from the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, and recently confirmed she has no intention of returning to the limelight.

Now 41, Curry reflects on her journey, revealing that her victory in 2003 didn’t lead to an easy path to success. Speaking to PEOPLE, she recounted feeling “betrayed and lied to” by the show. According to Curry, the grand prizes she was promised as the winner never materialized.

“They told us every day whoever was going to win would become a big Revlon model,” Curry remembers. “Then they dubbed over voiceovers when it aired on TV because they never intended that.” She felt deeply misled, believing the contestants were manipulated into striving fiercely for what turned out to be insignificant rewards. She described feeling like a “guinea pig” due to her carefree personality compared to her fellow competitors.

Curry quickly learned that the entertainment industry is rife with deceit and exploitation. “That’s the industry. It is cutthroat. It is lying. It is predatory,” she stated, explaining how the experience on America’s Next Top Model opened her eyes to harsh realities. “It was a polished jewel that prepared me for the awful truth that I couldn’t trust anybody, even people that I thought I could, and even knowing that I still got screwed over.”

Following her time on America’s Next Top Model, Curry appeared on other reality shows like Surreal Life, where she met and later married her now ex-husband, Christopher Knight from The Brady Bunch. The couple even had their own VH1 spinoff show. Despite the disappointments, Curry feels she gained valuable insights from her stint in the modeling world.

“I’m grateful that things didn’t pan out the way they were supposed to because I don’t think I would be a very good person if I had found major success in modeling,” she admitted. “I just don’t think my young brain would’ve been able to wrap itself around that in a good way.”

Curry’s breaking point came when she was advised to undergo plastic surgery. “I felt that I was on a cusp. I was 32 years old and offered a job for face fillers, with a huge payday and free treatments as part of the contract,” she recalled. The offer made her question her values deeply. “The money was so good that I considered it. Then I thought, ‘Am I willing to deface, to mutilate myself for money?'”

She realized that she needed to reconsider the direction her life was taking, especially if she was willing to alter her appearance for financial gain. “At 32 years old, you don’t need that,” she reflected, recognizing the dangerous path she might have embarked on had she accepted the offer.