Bianca Golden

Bianca Golden was one of the contestants of America’s Next Top Model’s ninth cycle. Born on October 5, 1988, she appeared in the competition when she was 18 years old, then a college student based in New York City. After trying her luck in numerous casting calls for models since she was just aged 12, she finally entered ANTM, being on of the show’s thirteen participants.

Golden immediately established a reputation for being very outspoken. She treated her fellow contestants poorly—she got into feuds with Lisa, believing that an exotic dancer like her doesn’t deserve a slot on ANTM; with Heather, who she teased despite discovering that she is afflicted with Asperger’s syndrome; and with eventual winner Saleisha, when she called her a “borderline plus-size.” She also got into some trouble with the shoots, notably refusing to participate in a photo shoot in Shanghai, China because it entailed her posing in the air, on high wires.

Nevertheless, Golden was one of the more enduring participants in the program. The model, who is also known for being shaved bald after her supposed makeover went wrong, lasted until the episode before the finale. She was eliminated in the twelfth episode, when she barely made the final three; Tyra Banks cited that she did not possess the same innate modeling talent the other remaining models had. Nevertheless, she continued pursing a modeling career, having appeared in several runway shows and fashion spreads, and also appeared on screen, notably the direct-to-DVD film Hole in Two. Her controversial nature still persists, however, notably when she got involved in an airport brawl with Hairspray actress Nikki Blonsky.