ANTM Icon Miss J Alexander Opens Up About Stroke That Left Him in a Coma—and His Inspiring Return to the Runway

Runway legend Miss J. Alexander—best known as the sharp-tongued, strut-perfecting coach on “America’s Next Top Model”—is back in the spotlight after revealing that a massive stroke left him unable to walk or talk for weeks. In new interviews timed to Netflix’s just-released documentary “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” the 65-year-old fashion fixture recounts spending five weeks in a coma in 2022 and the grueling rehabilitation that followed. Fans have long wondered what happened to the catwalk coach since his exit from ANTM in 2015. According to People, doctors initially gave Alexander a bleak prognosis, but two years of daily physical therapy have helped him regain his speech and begin relearning runway-worthy steps. “I taught models how to walk—now I’m teaching myself,” he tells the documentary’s cameras. “Reality Check” doesn’t shy away from franchise controversies—ranging from model mistreatment to Tyra Banks’ polarizing judging style—yet Miss J’s health battle emerges as the film’s emotional core. Variety notes that producers followed Alexander through hospital visits, home workouts and a tearful reunion with former ANTM colleagues, including Jay Manuel, who flew in for moral support. The comeback story is already fueling social buzz: clips of Alexander practicing turns with a cane racked up millions of views on Instagram within hours of release, while the hashtag #MissJ is trending on X (formerly Twitter). Cosmetic brands and fashion houses are reportedly eyeing the style icon for inspirational campaigns aimed at Gen Z consumers hungry for resilience narratives. Cosmopolitan adds that Alexander’s next milestone is a planned return to Fashion Week in September 2026, where he hopes to coach models backstage for the first time since his stroke. Meanwhile, he’s partnering with the American Stroke Association to launch “Strike a Pose, Stop a Stroke,” a fundraising initiative that merges runway challenges with stroke-symptom education. For longtime viewers and new fans alike, Miss J’s journey is a reminder that fierce confidence transcends the catwalk. As he quips in the documentary: “You can critique my walk, darling—but never count out my comeback.”