Model Tyra Banks reveals she hasn't washed her famous 2007 swimsuit

Remember that time Tyra Banks told her critics to "kiss my fat a--" while wearing a swimsuit on live TV? Well, the model just revealed she still has that famous cossie… and it's never been washed.

During an appearance on Watch What Happens Live on Sunday, Banks opened up about that viral 2007 moment on her now-cancelled talk show, The Tyra Banks Show, where she stood up to critics who fat-shamed her. 

"Oh my gosh, it is totally in an archive," she told host Andy Cohen of the memorable swimsuit.

"It is so there. And it still has, like, the oil and the sand in it. Like, I did not wash it. I'm like, 'It's gonna stay stank and real.' I still have it."

At the time, the star took to the stage while wearing the strapless, one-piece swimsuit with colourful stripes near the bust.

Just days before the taping 13 years ago, Banks had been fat-shamed over photos of her wearing the same cossie to the beach, so she wore it again in front of her studio audience to prove a point.

"To all of you who have something nasty to say to me or to women built like me… I have one thing to say to you," she said during the segment, while standing next to the unflattering paparazzi photo. 

"Kiss my fat a–!" 

Ever since, Banks has been trying to spread body positivity wherever she can. Her hope for the future is that models are not categorised but rather just allowed to embrace their bodies. 

"I'm happy that the fashion industry is finally catching up," she told People in 2018.

"What I'm hoping for is that the Ashley Grahams, the Gigi Hadids, everyone is just models. Not plus, not short, not trans, not curvy. I just want it to be normal."