Tyra nabbed the cover article of this week’s New York Times Magazine mainly to talk about how she’s the next Oprah.

According to the New York Times, the article “goes inside the world of Tyra Banks — ex-cover girl, ex-Victoria’s Secret model and the reigning star of two popular TV shows, ‘America’s Next Top Model’ and ‘The Tyra Banks Show’ — learn how the 34-year old entrepreneur turned herself into a brand.”

“I think I was put on this earth to instill self-esteem in young girls,” says Tyra.

Reeeeeeeally.

Let’s for a minute ignore the fact this is an absurd statement given her hosting duties on ANTM, where every week there’s some commentary on how contestants are too fat/too thin/too drag-queeny/too short/too ethnic/not ethnic enough/too edgy/too commercial.

But Cele|bitchy did some investigative reporting a few weeks ago after the German mother of an 11-year-old girl came forward with claims that Tyra misled her before they came on The Tyra Banks Show.

The daughter, Linda, wishes to pursue a modeling career and went on the show thinking she would receive career advice from the former Victoria Secret queen bee. Not really how it went down, though.

To summarize: Linda had taken some photos patterned after poses she had seen on America’s Next Top Model. Tyra viewed these photos as inappropriate, calling them “bait” for pedophiles, and that’s when the berating began:

Claudia asked Tyra for modeling advice for her daughter and she said she wouldn’t help her due to those photos. Then Claudia and Linda got shooed off stage as people were booing and were put in a car to go home. They were not allowed to meet with Tyra before or after the show for a photo and Linda didn’t even get an autograph to take home. Linda cried all the way home.

Nice, right? I’m sure Linda feels really, really good about herself now.