Tyra Banks Says Her Son York Can Smize Just Like Her: "He Just Has That Natural..."

Once Tyra Banks’ son York came into her life, he became her “everything.” The trailblazing supermodel, who made history as the first Black woman to be on the covers of the iconic Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and GQ magazine, had an emotional journey to motherhood, and her little boy has since grown up to be one clever kid. 

The host of America’s Next Top Model mostly keeps her son out of the spotlight but has opened about the joys of parenthood through the years. For instance, while York, now 9, hasn’t always been interested in just how famous his mom is, it turns out he was “transfixed” by her role in Life Size 2. 

“There’s something about the movie where he just, like, gets lost,” the former America's Got Talent Judge told Entertainment Tonight. “And he’s seen me on TV and stuff before and he’s not that impressed. But with this he’s just like, ‘Ahhhh, Mommy!’"

Banks — the guest co-host of TODAY with Jenna & Friends for the week of April 14 — clearly treasures being York’s mom. Read on to learn what she’s shared about her sweet boy since he was born in 2016. 

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Tyra Banks’ son York was born in 2016 via surrogate

In January 2016, Banks and her then-partner, Norwegian photographer Erik Asla, welcomed their son, York Banks Asla, via surrogate. 

“The best present we worked and prayed so hard for is finally here. He’s got my fingers and big eyes and his daddy Erik’s mouth and chin,” she wrote on Instagram at the time. “As we thank the angel of a woman that carried our miracle baby boy for us, we pray for everyone who struggles to reach this joyous milestone. York Banks Asla, welcome to the world.”

Miley Cyrus helped celebrate the couple’s happy news with a massive silver balloon display spelling out their newborn’s name. 

Before York’s arrival, Banks had opened up about her fertility struggles. “I’ve had some not happy moments with that, very traumatic moments,” she told People in 2015 about her experience with in vitro fertilization (IVF). “It’s difficult as you get older. It’s not something that can just happen.”

The couple eventually explored surrogacy to build their family, a process they chose to go through privately. “I just wanted to keep that private until my son was born and to be transparent about that. I feel very fortunate that I was able to have my son after many, many, many rounds of IVF,” she told Scary Mommy in 2020, adding that she’s “one and done but not by choice.” 

Tyra Banks’ son York can smize, just like his mom

There’s no doubt York has his mama’s genes. During a 2017 appearance on Late Night, Banks revealed to Seth Meyers that her little boy has already perfected the art of smizing — a term for smiling with your eyes made famous by Banks on America’s Top Model.

“Did he learn how to smize from you?” Meyers asked, referring to a precious photo she had posted of her son in 2017.

“I am not a stage mom. I don’t want you think that I’m saying, ‘You ain’t gonna get no peas and carrots if you don’t smize!’” Banks joked. “No, he just has that natural thing, and I had it when I was young, too.”

While Banks said at the time that she would prefer that he does not become a supermodel like her, she can’t ignore that he’s got a talent for it. “But he has that thing,” she told Meyers. “Look at him! He’s like ‘Hello, I am smizing.’”

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At just 2 years old, York could already speak several languages

In 2018, when York was just a 2-year-old toddler, Banks revealed that her little boy was already multilingual. 

“He’s really, really smart. He speaks Spanish, Norwegian, and English,” she told Us Weekly at the time. “He’s a smart one. But he’s still crazy and damn near rolling on the floor and not listening to me most of the time!”

And by the time he was 3, York had picked up another language. “Now he added a little French,” Banks revealed to Access Hollywood in 2019. “I’m like, ‘Uh uh, what are you saying because I don’t understand!’ 

York certainly keeps his mom on her toes, not just when it comes to languages. In a cute Instagram post from 2018, Banks shared that her son got a little too creative with a bowl of berries. "When you try to be the cool mom and let your child eat berries in bed but you turn away for literally 60 seconds..," she captioned the photo of her son's legs on berry-stained sheets. 

How Tyra Banks explained her job as a model to her son York

While York has certainly had smizing down for years, Banks revealed he’s starting to understand what exactly goes into her superstar career.

“He’s finally understanding that I'm a model. And then he's like, 'Mommy, is this a model face?’” she told TODAY in 2024, adding that she’ll support him if he chooses to follow in her footsteps. “I'm not pushing him to model. Like, if he wants to do it, he wants to do it, but I'm not going to be that mama."

For now, when it comes to explaining what a supermodel does, Banks came up with a pretty foolproof answer. “My little one is everything,” the proud mom told Access Hollywood in 2024. “I always tell him, mommy is just like all the other mommies at school, her job is just one that a lot of people get to see.”

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York called out his mom’s quirky new Australian habit

Banks has been living in Sydney, Australia with her son and partner, Canadian businessman and entrepreneur Louis Bélanger-Martin, while opening her first shop on the continent for her ice cream brand, SMiZE & DREAM. And while she’s been down under, she’s picked up on some Aussie slang. 

“I like that everything’s [got an ‘ie’ at the end],” she told Australian news outlet 9honey in 2025. “I just like the cuteness of that. But my son says I put these, ‘ie’s on stuff that's not an, ‘ie.’ I'll joke with him, I'll be like, 'Oh, the waterie' and he's like 'No!’”