Digital News Report- A scuffle at America’s Next Top Model auditions in New York has led to six injuries and three arrests for disorderly conduct, according to the New York Times. Two of the six people injured were taken to a hospital. Hundreds of people were involved in the brawl, which left shoes, sleeping bags, chairs, and clothing littered in front of the hotel where the auditions were taking place.
“It was pretty scary,” Jessica Paravati told WNYW-TV. Paravati had camped out overnight with thousands of others in the hopes of getting a spot on the popular CW reality show hosted by Tyra Banks. The contestants had no access to food or restroom facilities as they lined up around the block.
“The girls were running like it was 9/11 part two,” 27-year-old Jennifer Brown of Brooklyn told the Daily News. “I feared for my life.”
WINS Radio reported that the chaos came from a false fire scare after a vehicle spewing smoke pulled up near the line of hopeful contestants. It was also reported that a man from the vehicle began to grab at women’s purses. Some have stated that they heard shouts of “bomb” or fire while others blame the event organizers for not doing their job. There has been no official confirmation on any of these reports by authorities.
Banks andexecutive producer Ken Mok released a statement on Sunday saying, “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.”
Video of the incident: