Do you ever wonder happens to the girls of America's Next Top Model after the cameras stop rolling?
A couple of weeks ago, shocking news spread throughout the media concerning former ANTM contestant Jael Strauss.
Revealed on Dr Phil's latest episode, Jael is suffering from meth addiction as well as a number of other hard drugs and as a result her relationship with her family has deteriorated.
When Dr Phil's team came to attempt to convince Jael to appear on his show, she refused and struggled - even attacked with all her might. As a viewer this was unsettling to see - it was clear that this woman was way past reasoning and her addiction was no joke.
She eventually came on the show but ran to the back of the studios as soon as she entered Dr Phil's stage. Her unbalanced state of mind was highlight to the fact that she desperately needed help from someone who could provide her with a calm voice of both concern and console.
Dr Phil gave her this and after a few minutes talking to a broken, downtrodden woman slave to a drug with no hope in her eyes of recovering - once a young woman with a bright destiny in front of her - I, as a viewer realized that this had become more than a show, a spectacle. It was a sad, effecting reality that brought tears to my eyes as Jael clung to Dr Phil in a mix of praise and despair as he promised to give her the best rehab care available.
What was particularly powerful about this episode was the contrast between the glitz of ANTM and the harsh, raw aftermath. Nothing is what it appears to be it seems. ANTM focuses on presenting a perfected image but you cannot ignore the real person behind the photo as may have been the case with Jael Strauss
Hopefully, this woman will get better and gain her potential back.
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