Tyra Banks has postponed the opening of her greatly anticipated them park ModelLand, citing the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, which has led to sweeping closures across the country.
“In light of the recommendations of the CDC, WHO, and California Governor Gavin Newsom, we have decided to postpone the opening of ModelLand,” said a statement released by ModelLand read. “Will continue to monitor the situation and determine a new date to open that is appropriate and safe. We remain excited to bring the wonderous world of ModelLand to you and will wait to welcome you to our attraction when the time is right.”
Banks announced the news of the upcoming theme park launch last year, during an interview with WWD.
“It’s my calling to bring modeling to the masses,” she told the publication “I created ‘Top Model’ to expand the definition of beauty based on my own pain of being told ‘no’ that I couldn’t do something because I’m curvy or I’m Black,” she continued.
“My empathy for women in general increased through the experience. And now with Modelland, I’m taking it 10 steps forward, giving people the opportunity to engage with the elusive world by opening it up to everyone. Men, women, families, all generations can come and enter this model world for a day, have a fun shopping experience, and an eventful meal. This will be the first of many.”
She shared that ModelLand would be a 21,000-square-foot, ticketed attraction creating a fantasy version of the modeling world to let visitors “be the dream version of themselves.” This will be achieved through interactive entertainment, curated retail and user-generated content that can be shared.
