Tyra Banks The Crazy Diva

TYRA Banks' diva behavior has reached ridiculous new heights.

The model/talk-show hostess kept her "Tyra Banks Show" audience waiting for nearly two hours at her West 26th Street studio Tuesday during a taping of "Celebrating Black Models, Past, Present and Future," while she stood backstage giggling, snacking and chatting with the crew.

"You could hear her going on and on because she was standing right behind the stage curtain," said one audience member. "She's talking and talking. Meanwhile, you have the entire audience waiting almost two hours for the taping to start." And our spy said when Banks finally did take her seat onstage, she had a bad attitude.

"She leaves us waiting, and everyone is sitting there complaining, and then she comes out and doesn't say a word about it. She didn't even say hello, she got right into her script," said our source. "She acted so cold towards everyone. She's a phony."

Another audience member told Page Six the crowd was full of aspiring models who were dragged into the street by Banks for a shoot after she'd interviewed Beverly Johnson, Veronica Webb, Chanel Iman and Tameka Jacobs.

All along, "Tyra kept saying, 'When I was a model,' and would hardly let them talk," said our spy. "It was all about her, as usual."

Banks then led the whole audience outside onto the street for the show's ending. "Cops had it closed off, and Tyra had bodyguards," laughed our spy. "She had the audience prance down the street and then release black balloons. Some were whining that it was so bad for the environment.

"It was so disorganized, people fell over the press outside and almost trampled two little girls. Tyra was acting like it was a live sporting event instead of the most self-indulgent, narcissistic crap." Show reps did not return calls.

PageSix