Tyra Banks, the famous supermodel and television personality, just opened up about her path to motherhood. She shared what she’s been going through in a recent episode of TODAY with Jenna & Friends. Today, the 49-year-old said with joy, she’s living proof of the power of in vitro fertilization (IVF). She loves being the mother to her son, York, who is nine years old now. York was conceived through IVF and born through surrogacy in January of 2016. Blessing actually refers to this process as a curse.
As Banks shared during our conversation, she frequently looks back on her IVF experience, and the scene that struck a chord with her the most. “So here I am, feeling totally not enough.” She said, “Because here I am, feeling so inadequate. This statement speaks to the emotional toll that is often experienced by women undergoing fertility treatments. Through these difficulties, she remained incredibly thankful for York’s birth—having survived cancer, she called him her “miracle baby.”
In an Instagram birth announcement, Banks said that she was “beyond grateful” to the surrogate who carried little York. She brought to life just how important community care has been on her path to motherhood. As York himself gets older, he’s starting to get a clearer picture of what his mother’s big career choice entailed. Banks shared a touching anecdote about their interactions: “Mommy, Mommy, you love me and I wasn’t even here. Tell me how much you wanted me,” he often says.
Banks emphasized that while she has a successful career as a model, she is not pressuring York to follow in her footsteps. I’m not forcing him to pose. Whatever he chooses to do, if he ever chooses to go in the direction of performing on stage, I guess that’s his prerogative, but I’m not gonna be that mama. This strategy is a clear signal of her devotion to making sure that York has the opportunity to chart his own destiny.
Prior to York’s birth, Banks adopted a clay tile that lives in his bedroom in the Brooklyn home. “In my apartment here in New York, I made a tile in my son’s bedroom before he was even born,” she reminisced. This small touch is a huge marker of her glee and impatience as she used to sit and wait for his arrival.
York is still learning about his personal history and his mother’s story as a professional musician. This time, Banks is committed to fostering their relationship and helping York develop his confidence. More significantly, she understands how important IVF was in their journey. “All I could do was smile because IVF saved me,” she says. “It was the very end of my eggs and I barely squeaked it out. It is the most awesome thing ever!”