Miss J Alexander Spent 5 Weeks In A Coma After Suffering Stroke, Opens Up About Recovery
✍️ By Teju/ February 17, 2026/ 11:43pm
Legendary runway coach and television personality Miss J Alexander has revealed that a devastating stroke in December 2022 left him in a coma for five weeks and fundamentally changed his life. The revelation comes in the new Netflix documentary Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which premiered earlier this week.
Alexander, widely known for his work on America’s Next Top Model as a runway coach and occasional judge alongside Tyra Banks, Nigel Barker, and Jay Manuel, shared that the stroke left him unable to walk or speak initially. At age 67, he was hospitalized on December 27, 2022, and spent more than a month in a coma. After regaining consciousness, he faced a long and emotional recovery process.
In the documentary, Alexander recalls waking up in the hospital with no memory of his surroundings, unable to move or communicate. Reflecting on the emotional toll, he admitted he cried as he realized how drastically his abilities had changed, especially poignant for someone whose career revolved around movement and presence on the catwalk.
While former co-stars Jay Manuel and Nigel Barker visited him during his recovery, Alexander revealed that Tyra Banks has not yet visited him in person, despite sending messages expressing her desire to do so.
Doctors and his support system helped Alexander gradually regain some abilities, and he continues to work toward walking again. In the documentary, he maintains a hopeful outlook: “I’m determined to walk… It’s not over for me yet.”
The film also reflects on Alexander’s influential role in fashion television and his enduring legacy teaching models how to strut with confidence and style, making his recovery journey all the more compelling for audiences.
