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Tyra Banks Weighs in on the Supermodel War: ‘We Are Stronger Together Than Apart’

Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks attends the Paley Center For Media's Hollywood Tribute To African-American Achievements in Television on October 26, 2015 in Los Angeles, California.Michael Kovac/Getty Images

Tyra Banks is not about the drama. The former America’s Next Top Model host shared her thoughts on the so-called supermodel war that has been raging between supermodels of past and present on Wednesday, June 22, trying to draw a truce between both sides.

“I live in the middle of a certain war that is raging right now. A model war,” the 42-year-old supermodel began her lengthy post. “Why do I feel in the middle? I’m a model that started my career in high fashion, that transitioned to the girl-next-door sexy Supermodel, and then created a modeling reality show that catapulted my career and personal brand further than I could have ever imagined. I’m not 100 percent couture, nor am I 100 percent TV star. So, yes, I exist in the middle.”

Banks, 42, went on to address both the “original Supermodels” and the “new Supermodels,” calling both groups her “sisters” and her “girls.”

Related: PHOTOS: Celebrity Feuds: The Biggest Ever!

The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model acknowledged that she while got her start in the modeling world during a very different social climate, she admired the young up-and-coming models of today who have to deal with the pressures of social media and branding.

“You’re kicking ass, working hard, running from show to show, shoot to shoot and party to party (because you have to be seen and have a cool social media post that night because your followers are complaining you haven’t been posting enough lately),” she wrote. “You’re driving yourself into exhaustion all while showing the world post by post that it looks so easy, when in reality, it is anything but. The pressure is ON.”

The war of words began in April, when former supermodel Rebecca Romijn said that she didn’t believe It Girls, such as Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, deserved to be considered supermodels.

Related: PHOTOS: Supermodels: Then and Now

“No one has proven yet that numbers of followers translates to revenue,” the 43-year-old X-Men star told Entertainment Tonight on Tuesday, April 26. “So it is frustrating. I know a lot of people — legitimate fashion people — can’t stand it. Hate it that these, you know, social media stars are now the supermodels in fashion. They are not true supermodels.”

In response, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Yolanda Foster, who herself was a model and is mom of stunners Gigi and Bella Hadid, took to Twitter to defend Gigi, 21, and the young model’s BFF Jenner, 20.

“Kind, hard working and they accomplished more at half your age in the fashion industry,” the proud mama, 52, tweeted at Romijn. “No need 2 throw shade on hard-working children.”

Related: PHOTOS: Kendall Jenner's Best Runway Looks

Romijn responded with a tongue-in-cheek tweet: “Woohoo! Twitter beef cherry popped! [Love] you @YolandaHFoster.”

Banks ended her post with a plea to models past and present. “Yesterday’s ‘Trinity’ is today’s #Squad,” she wrote. “And what we all must remember is that we are stronger together than apart. I hope we can start to act like it. I’ve had enough pain from my modeling years in the past and seeing my sisters in conflict today brings back those gut-wrenching memories. So, let’s band together and unite. Please end the fight.”

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