Stampede at ‘Top Model’ Auditions in NYC!

Copyright 2008 Rob Loud / Getty Images
“America’s Next Top Model” auditions took a chaotic turn when reports say six people were injured and three others were arrested -- "The Insider" has host Tyra Banks' reaction.

Hundreds of people lined up in front of Manhattan’s Park Central New York hotel when the commotion broke out, though police are uncertain as to what prompted the incident, the Associated Press reports.

The news reports say the disorder left the street in front of the hotel littered with clothes and shoes.

"Top Model" host Tyra and producer Ken Mok released the following statement to ET:

"We are concerned by the events that occurred Saturday afternoon in the vicinity of the New York City casting call for the next cycle of 'America's Next Top Model.' At this time, we still don't know all the details of what happened or what triggered the incident. We appreciate the efforts of the NYPD and will assist them in any way possible in this matter."

Police say two women and a man were arrested on disorderly conduct charges and the audition was shut down by authorities, AP reports.

Two people were taken to the hospital while four others that were injured declined treatment.

The current season of “Top Model” started airing on The CW March 4.

Published 3/15/09 by the Insider

Comments (17)

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  • Heyy i knw dat tyra can R0ck diz..It will b beta if tyra stil be a judge of nxt top model.tYRA u R0K da shw...

    hahahahahah
    Anonymous 3/22/09 Reply
  • I was there when the ENTIRE incident occured that day, I was one of the "Beauties Go Bonkers" that the Daily News wrote about. I am ABSOLUTELY offended abou the names we were called and the dumb crap that led to this horrid experience. I am in mourn for the people that got hurt and the people that were wrongfully arrested beacuse of this. If you would like to know futher deatails about what happened and what lead to the stampede and arrests, contact me via email. keesh4769@yahoo.com
    keesh4769 3/22/09 Reply
  • The event that took place was very unfortunate, I am a petitie woman alsoI know how difficult it is to walk in heels neverless standing for hours. But hello women! Why would anyone target the Tyra show for terrorism? When does smoke constitute a Bomb!Maybe these airheads don't need to be on the show! Smoke from a car's exhaust does not equal bomb ladies?
    Anonymous 3/17/09 Reply
  • I was at the audition (came from Boston) and couldn't understand what the station was thinking (or not thinking) by having absolutely no staff outside of the Park Central Hotel. There was no direction or organization and the station was asking for the chaos to happen by not doing anything to prevent it. There were at least four to five lines going in all different directions because no one knew where the line began or ended. It was the blind leading the blind. Disappointing to day. I am glad I left when I did and did not waste my entire afternoon in New York City.
    Anonymous 3/16/09 Reply
  • I was there and I could not believe the chaos and the lack of order and care from the top model organization.

    I stood outside in the freezing cold from 8:00am until 7:30 almost 8pm. I waited in a line that circled the entire block. It was the longest block I have and will ever walk. From the beginning there was no order, just thousands of other women with the same application that said to meet at an address that was not where it was said to be.

    I hadn't slept in 24hours preparing for the audition I hadn't eaten a thing Thirsty, extremely in need of a bathroom and my energy running on the hopes that I could be "America's next top model."

    Finally I am 3/4 of the way there and I can see the door but the line is only moving 3 inches every 45mins. I am in a place of anger yet knowing the other girls around me were suffering the same cold weather, the same dreams, and the same physical pain and endurance, I was given some comfort.

    We even became Friends and worked as a unit to keep each other warm. I was thinking when did this become an episode of Survivor?
    Now to the Chaos The line went from one wide side walk to a very wide city street in width around 12pm There was a car that had hit a barricade and was over heating there was smoke filling the air and then next thing we hear is " it's going to explosed, it's on Fire! I am closest to the walk and was smashed into it. All of us on top of one another.

    There was no way to get out or move so I tried to slip down so if it blew I would have a better change of not getting my hair mess up or my head blown off. Then the cops tried to calm us down saying its not going to blow, easier said then done especially with some random strangers hands on your behind and you can't tell who's legs are who's.

    as we are still crushed by the pressure from the thousand of girls in front and behind us, even more chaos broke out when a man runs into the crowd where he pulls out some young girl and starts to beat her, as the cops come to get him he charges back into the crowd saying he has a gun and we heard something that sound like gunshot but that could not be confirmed. that is where it got even worst everyone running in to each other trying to get away from danger.

    I was now not being smashed against the wall but between people. It was like playing a game of life and death twister. I had moved a lot not even using my legs, my feet were no longer on the ground. I was being propel forward by force. my ribs and lungs were being crushed and I started to lose consciousness and could not breath. There was a girl on top of me who started to have a seizure and or was hyperventilating I had to pull myself together so I could help her.

    When they say you want to be on top I had no idea this is what they meant. after we had finally broke free the police said it is over go home. I became furious. How could they do this to us!

    *First we come out here with them not giving us any order or communication about whats going on

    *Second we stand in the freezing cold on a Saturday for hours and for some days.

    *Third those that were there waiting for these hours and days were cut in line from people that showed up late and formed their own line, not to mention they got in.

    *fourth and most importantly our lives were in dangered and our dreams shattered.

    Fifth we were treated like animals no food, no water, no bathroom, no order and no one to care.

    After everything was said and done we could not even get an apology, a thank you for coming out, an explanation, a sorry you came wasted your time and almost died as well as your dreams being scattered on the streets of NYC along with your belongings.

    It was another slap in the face. I Lauren Amaris was checked out by ambulance but chose not to go to hospital, due to I can not afford it. I am at home recovering with bruises, swelling, I am still walking with a limp due to the trauma my legs experience, I am having back pains and possible whiplash.

    I will be ok, but what's not ok is the lack of care that was shown for the people that came out to be apart of this great opportunity. I love Tyra Banks and what she stands for and the traumatizing experience that occurred this past Saturday March 14th 2009, I pray her and her team Right this wrong.
    Anonymous 3/16/09 Reply
    • Ok I was definetly at the event and this is OVERLY exaggerated!! There was absolutely NO car crash, NO gun shots, NO man beating a woman.... Yes you make a good and convincing story but seriously? The event was very very disorganized and extremely dangerous, as everyone was pushing each other, but what you speak of is NOT true. If this were the case it would be all over the news! And would have been shut down soooo much sooner! I got seen at 230Pm and left by 3Pm and there was still people outside with no comotion. It is sad that you are trying to gain the sympathy of readers and directors of the ANTM show. If this were not the case you would not have put your first and last name. FYI, The ANTM team knows what really went down and will not show any sympathy to you by giving you a "fair" tryout because of your "experience"
      Anonymous 3/17/09
    • Please disregard the comment below! I just seen the footage on youtube and had NO IDEA!! I was there until about 3pm and there was absolutely no commotion as described... Im just glad I left before it happened. Again I apologize for the rude comment I guess it was just so hard to believe when I was there... I just wasnt there when it happened.
      Anonymous 3/17/09
  • I was at the auditions yesterday and I was right near the door when the bum rush happened and let me tell you it was no joke. When you have over 3000 people pushing over you and your only way of surviving is to jump through a revolving door you'll realize how poorly organzied it was started from 7am. And all of the people who waited on line for 15-20 hours didnt get in. And the cops didn't handle the situation any better because they were triggering the crowd to become restless and get out of hand because they were letting everyone who came fter 10 oclock in and all the people who spent the night they were making them wait. To top it off the casting director aka the casting director thought she was a superstar. The doors opened @ 7am and she strolled in at 2pm. I don't know who the hell she think she is but this is was serious business to everyone and because of her lateness everyone had to suffer causing everything to get out of hand. This was a ridiculous situation and I will never put myself in this predicament again. If Tyra doesn't take drastic action as far as all of the people who didn't get a chance to audition she is defintely going to loose respect and viewers. I would suggest the best thing for her to do is allow the people from NYC to extend her Video Auditions because there is no way in hell anyone is going to go back and wait on line to attempt to audition for the show. I lknow my parents defintely arent going to allow it to happen nor are any other estblishments going to put up with that kind of chaos.
    -Bella
    MaritsaC 3/16/09 Reply
  • PRETTY!!
    Anonymous 3/15/09 Reply
  • I flew in from Myrtle Beach S.C and stood there 4 8 hrs and just as I got to the door it broke out...I lost my oppurtunity 2 try out because some ignorant idiots don't know how to behave in public!!
    JeniqueH 3/15/09 Reply
  • I stood there 4 8 hrs and just as I got to the door it broke out...I lost my oppurtunity 2 try out because some ignorant idiots don't know how to behave in public!!
    JeniqueH 3/15/09 Reply
  • hi i wish that people would be more real about them self as some do.well good luck tyra banks on what u do. u do it as best as u can and i am happy for what i see u do keep up the good woek
    FuddleK 3/15/09 Reply
  • i love here she is so daman sweet and soooooooo hot i love hrer
    Anonymous 3/15/09 Reply
  • I attended this audition and it was terrible. This was one of the worst experiences that I have ever encountered. I waited on line, in the cold for ten hours just to never even get seen. It was so disorganized and we were left outside with no information on what was even going on. The line wasn't even organized...there barely was a line!! You can't have people waiting for ridiculous amounts of time and expect nothing to happen. There is only so much that a person can physically and mentally take. Shame on Tyra and her staff for this complete lack of organization. By the way, most of the girls were really lovely and helped each other out as much as possible, so it wasn't really the auditionees that didn't like each other it was that everyone was so upset and frustrated from being left out in the cold...literally.
    Anonymous 3/15/09 Reply
  • Last sunday I brought my daughter to the top model audition here in albany on 3/8/09 at a local mall. The audtions were advertised on tv and radio to take place between 1 and 4 pm. we got to the mall at 12:45 and by the time it was 1:10, 200 people who were waiting outside including us, were asked to leave because representatives came out and stated that they didnt have enough camera men, and only had enough for the first 200 people that were inside the mall being interviewed. This was false advertising being that the audtions were 1 to 4, and they were very unprofessional not to have enough camera men to take photos of these women. I can understand what happened down in NYC, because im sure thats why a mini riot developed. I bet my last dollar that they turned people away from being interviewed. The worst that happened at the mall we went to, was me telling the representative that this is illegal and they delivered false advertisement and didnt keep their promise for the time slot that they stated. Everyone who stood behind me agreed, as I tried to reason with the representative. Many people took off from their jobs and even drove hours to go to this audtion. They were not professional and organized and misled the public. They do not know what they are doing and are missing out on beautiful potential models. Too bad tyra wasn't there. I wonder if she would have been supportive of all the young girls standing outside to get a chance at this opportunity. The representatives were rude as well as the security at the mall. I will never forget how demeaning the situation was for these young girls. You would have been better off having people send in photos of themselves, than holding these auditions just to get publicity for the show.
    Anonymous 3/15/09 Reply
  • ........
    NeverLetGo 3/15/09 Reply
  • Interesting!
    There is a very interesting place *** C o m It 's where you have the opportunity dreaming about dating a millionaire and make it true!
    Anonymous 3/15/09 Reply