Who is Tyra Banks mom Carolyn London? Model shares insight into her childhood

Tyra Banks is one of the most well known model and television personalities around the world, but alongside her success is a woman who helped mold her into the successful star she has become, her mother, Carolyn London. An A&R guru, photographer, single mother, and manager, London was instrumental in Banks’ career and in her personal development and upbringing.

Carolyn London was born on 11 November 1948 in Los Angeles, California and is a former professional photographer. Divorced from Don Banks, she has two children: a daughter, Tyra, and her older brother, Devin.

According to Penguin Random House, alongside her photography, London has taken on executive roles as CEO of the Tyra Banks Company and is also the cofounder of TZONE Foundation.

During a recent appearance on The Kyle & Jackie O Show, Tyra Banks was candid about her early childhood and her mother's unfiltered approach to parenting. When she was 11, Tyra got her first unique birds and the birds and the bees talk, while on the train ride from Los Angeles to San Diego.

"she gave me the birds and bees talk... I knew [the] ‘Where did I come from?’ talk, but she gave me the talk about what a guy will whisper in your ear and how your body will feel and the things that your body will be experiencing. You know…"

Banks has previously told how her mother was completely straightforward and used to answer her questions about drugs, s*x, and relationships openly and honestly.

Tyra Banks remembered how her mother’s words stuck with her as she grew old. In one of her earliest forays into romance, a boy supposedly whispered something in her ear, just as her mother had predicted years earlier.

"So, my first little makeout, serious makeout session, the boy whispered a little something, something in my ear, and I jumped off the couch, and I was like, 'My mama said you would say that!'" hShe shared.

A look into Carolyn London's support for Tyra Banks' career

Carolyn London encouraged Tyra Banks' decision to start modeling after she was scouted in Paris. As Tyra was getting on the plane, her mother's big piece of advice was to study the fashion business before entering it.

"The one thing I did say (was) 'You are starting a business. You are the commodity. So you are going to study. You are going to know that business inside and out before you step on any airplane to go to Paris.'" London told Today in an interview.

This foundation provided Banks with a fast track to success, and she eventually broke barriers as the first Black woman to cover Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue and as a Victoria’s Secret model for nearly a decade.

While Tyra Banks’ career was on the rise, Carolyn London assumed the manager position, making sure her daughter made smart choices with her career. She helped Tyra survive racism in the fashion industry over the years and pushed her to face challenges head on. London said:

"She was constantly told that Black models didn't sell magazines, that Black models don't get advertising campaigns... One thing after another. A trait we both have is 'Don't tell us that you can't do something.' There's always a way in."

The two made headlines again recently when they arrived together at the ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Awards. It seems like the mother-daughter duo is still strong together by supporting each other to navigate the complicated world of the fashion industry.

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