Miss J (J. Alexander) is still alive and very much present in the fashion world, but he went through a serious health crisis and a big life shift after his America’s Next Top Model days.

Quick Scoop

  • Former ANTM runway coach and judge, famous as the “Queen of the Catwalk.”
  • Suffered a major stroke on December 27, 2022, which left him initially unable to walk or talk.
  • Spent about five weeks in a coma and around a year and a half in the hospital and rehab.
  • As of early 2026, he has regained speech but still uses a wheelchair and is relearning how to walk.
  • Featured in the Netflix docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” where he shares his health journey and talks frankly about the show and Tyra Banks.

From ANTM Icon To Life After The Show

Miss J became a breakout star on America’s Next Top Model, first as the unforgettable runway coach and later as a judge, teaching contestants the sharp, dramatic walk that became the show’s signature. He appeared on every cycle until 2012, when he, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker were suddenly let go after changes in network leadership and the show’s direction.

After ANTM, he stayed active in fashion: working on international versions of Top Model and teaching at the Savannah College of Art and Design for over a decade, where he coached students on modeling and runway presence. For many fans, it felt like he disappeared from mainstream TV, but he was still quietly working in fashion and education behind the scenes.

The Stroke And Health Update

In late 2022, Miss J’s life changed dramatically. He revealed in the Netflix documentary that he had a stroke on December 27, 2022.

  • He went into a coma for about five weeks.
  • When he woke up, he couldn’t walk and could barely speak.
  • He then spent roughly a year and a half in the hospital and rehabilitation, relearning how to talk and trying to regain mobility.

In the docuseries, he describes how devastating it felt to be the person who once “taught models how to walk” and now be unable to walk himself. As of February 2026, he can speak again and appears in interviews and the documentary, but he is still in a wheelchair and working hard to walk again.

Relationship With Tyra Banks And ANTM World

The Netflix documentary also revisits his complicated relationship with the show and Tyra Banks.

  • He, Jay Manuel, and Nigel Barker were fired from ANTM in 2012 when the show changed direction, which strained things behind the scenes.
  • In the docuseries, Miss J says Tyra has not yet visited him in person since his stroke, though she has sent supportive messages via text and expressed a desire to see him.
  • He remains close with Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker; they visited him in the hospital, and Barker has spoken emotionally about how hard it was to see him in that condition.

The show itself is also critiqued in the documentary for problematic practices and the way contestants and staff were treated, and Miss J participates in that more critical look at the ANTM era.

Where He Is Now (2026)

As of early 2026, “what happened to Miss J from America’s Next Top Model” looks like this:

  • He is living with long-term effects of a stroke, using a wheelchair and working through rehabilitation.
  • He has recovered his voice and appears in the Netflix docuseries and recent media interviews, talking openly about his health and the industry.
  • He’s determined to walk again and says he believes “it’s not over for me yet,” emphasizing that he wants to return, in some form, to the world he loves.

In other words, Miss J didn’t just vanish—he’s been fighting through a major health battle, reflecting on his ANTM past, and holding onto the hope of another chapter.

TL;DR: Miss J from America’s Next Top Model had a severe stroke in December 2022, spent months in a coma and rehab, and as of 2026 is in a wheelchair but has regained his speech and is determined to walk and keep going.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.