In a promo for the CW show, which aired in August, judge Miss J wrapped his hands around the 6-foot-2 model's tiny mid-section.
"You have the smallest waist in the world," host Tyra Banks said. "Look at that waist!"
The 37-year-old former top model later released a statement to People magazine saying the scene "misconstrued our overarching message,."
But that didn't stop Banks from crowning Ward the winner over bleached blonde beauty Chelsey Hersley.
"All those comments about being too tall or just being not normal..." Ward responded after throwing her hands to her mouth in shock.
She later revealed she was completely "caught off guard" by the announcement.
"When I saw that I was the winner, I really choked up," she told usmagazine.com. "It was really emotional for me because I've been through a lot. I wasn't expecting to win."
America's Next Top Model Winner Ann Ward
Comments