Chanel Iman speaks out about the dark side of the fashion and modeling world on Special Forces: World's Toughest Test

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 4 episode 5, which was released on October 23, 2025, saw supermodel Chanel Iman open up about the vices of the fashion and modeling industry.

In one segment of the episode, titled Trust, Chanel was called to the confession room by the Directing Staff (DS) for a session of tactical questioning.

It was when the DS asked her about being tagged as the “least trustworthy” by her co-stars that Iman opened up about the struggles of being sidelined as a Black model.

However, when they asked her if she enjoyed the industry, she said:

“I mean, I think the breakthrough moments make you stay in, but I do take breaks from my industry all the time just because I need to be mentally just stable.”

In a separate confessional, Chanel detailed that she started modeling when she was 12 or 13 years old and saw “things very early on.”

“You’re exposed to everything. From s*x to drugs to people who try to get you to do certain things,” she explained.

The Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test star added that back in her day, models were “mutes” who had no opinions of their own. It was something that the industry indoctrinated her with as well. 

How did Chanel perform in episode 5 of Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test season 4?

After Nick Young and Ravi V. Patel voluntarily exited the competition series, the remaining 11 recruits were asked to name one participant they would leave behind in a mission because of how untrustworthy they were. 

A majority of the players took Chanel’s name, making their feelings clear about her performance. 

After being put on the spot, Chanel admitted that it was not the first time she had faced rejection, as it was a common practice in her industry. 

However, the honest opinions of her co-stars affected her as she broke down in tears on her way to the mission location, saying:

“That was harsh.”

In the first mission of the episode, which required lifting heavy equipment, Chanel was appointed team leader.

However, she struggled to pull through and sought help from her teammates to get through.

“I’ve never really been in a situation where I had to take over or step up to the plate. I was kind of raised to just be a pretty face, don’t say anything, do the job, do great,” Chanel said in a confessional.

Unfortunately, her team failed to outperform the opposition, earning the “fail” tag from the experts. 

Later in the episode, the DS called Chanel for a tactical questioning session, during which she shared that the modeling industry raised her to be “quiet and reserved.”

When she added that she grew up keeping her thoughts to herself, the DS reminded her that the competition was all about teamwork. 

Consequently, they nudged her to create a “presence” of her own, engage with her co-stars, and open up more. 

Later in the Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test episode, the recruits were challenged to a “nerve test,” where they had to perform backward dives in unison with their teammate. 

Chanel, who was paired with Brianna, wanted to utilize the opportunity to prove she was not “just a pretty face.”

“I want to show them how trustworthy I really am,” she added.

That said, she and Brianna passed the test by completing the fall in unison. Chanel’s performance earned her praise from the DS for redeeming herself after failing the first mission.

Stay tuned for more updates.