Tyra Banks doesn’t just smile with her eyes when discussing her 2-year-old son York — her entire face lights up.
“He’s amazing,” Banks, 44, gushed to Us Weekly at a screening of Black Panther — sponsored by Ravage Wines & Synchrony — in NYC on Tuesday, February 13. The proud mom then shared that her toddler can count to 20 and is “talking up a storm” in three different languages. “He speaks Norwegian, Spanish and English!” raved the America’s Next Top Model host before heading inside to catch the buzzed-about superhero film.
Banks and her then-boyfriend, Erik Ansla, welcomed York via surrogate in January 2016. She and the Norwegian photographer parted ways in October after five years together, but remain on good terms. “She and Erik are friends,” a source told Us at the time. “The breakup was drama-free.”
The former model announced York’s arrival in an Instagram post. “The present we worked and prayed so hard for is finally here,” she wrote. “He’s got my fingers and big eyes and his daddy Erik’s mouth and chin. We thank the angel of a woman that carried our miracle baby boy for us, we prayed for everyone who struggles to reach this joyous milestone. York Banks Asla, welcome to to the world.”
Banks is one of many celebrities who have been open about fertility struggles. Chrissy Teigen spoke out about using IVF to become pregnant with now 22-month-old daughter Luna, which she discussed with Banks on the now cancelled daytime talk show FABLife in 2015.
“It’s so funny when I was 23 years old, I used to tell myself, ‘In three years, I’m going to have kids.’ Then I turned 24. ‘In three years, I’m going to have kids,’” Banks, revealed at the time.“Every single year I kept saying that. And then after a while it’s like, ‘Okay, now I want to.’ And it’s not so easy.”
