Miss J Alexander Spent Five Weeks in a Coma After Stroke, Reveals Recovery Journey
Miss J Alexander, the longtime runway coach known for his work on America's Next Top Model, has opened up about a life-altering health crisis that left him in a coma for weeks and unable to walk or speak. He described the moment of waking in hospital confusion and the emotional process of relearning basic functions as he works toward returning to the runway.
Hospitalization and the early days of recovery
On December 27, 2022 (ET), Alexander suffered a stroke that would dramatically alter his life. "I woke up. I didn’t know where I was other than in the hospital. I spent five weeks in a coma, and I couldn’t walk. And I couldn’t talk, " he said during the third episode of a new documentary tracing the legacy of the show that made him a household name. "I thought to myself, what was I going to do? I couldn’t walk; I couldn’t speak. "
He described how the initial realization of his condition triggered an emotional response. "It was emotional. I cried. I am not ashamed to say that I cried, " Alexander said, summing up both the fear and the determination that have shaped his recovery. Medical teams focused first on stabilizing him and then on extensive rehabilitation to address speech and mobility deficits. The early months after the stroke were a mix of medical intervention and incremental therapy milestones—each small win becoming a reason for hope.
Support from former colleagues and a poignant reunion
Throughout his hospital stay and recovery, Alexander received visits from former colleagues who had become close friends. Nigel Barker recalled his own reaction to seeing Alexander in the hospital, describing the moment as heartbreaking. "When he saw me, he was happy to see me and the two of us cried together and I held him, " Barker said, adding that the sight of his friend so incapacitated was "such a terrible shock and really upsetting and horrifying and scary. " Jay Manuel also reflected on the visit, noting how clear it was how upset Alexander was and how difficult it must have been for him internally.
When the trio reunited for the documentary, Barker offered a candid assessment of Alexander’s progress: "When we first saw you in that hospital, you could hardly move, hardly talk. Now you’re sitting up doing an interview, chatting, talking, rolling your eyes and making us laugh. " The reunion underscores how far Alexander has come in a relatively short time and highlights the close bonds formed during their years working together on set.
Outlook: determination to return to the runway
Alexander is candid about what he misses most: the catwalk. "I miss being the queen of the runway, " he said. He framed his recovery as an ongoing battle that he intends to win. "I’m the person who taught models how to walk. And now I can’t walk... Not yet. I’m determined to walk. I’m sure you’re gonna see me again, I’m sure. It’s not over for me yet. "
He also touched on outreach from former coworkers, noting that he had received a text from a fellow star expressing a wish to visit. While the visit had not yet happened, the gesture was meaningful during a period marked by reflection and gradual progress.
Alexander’s story is being shared as part of a documentary that revisits the cultural impact of a long-running reality show and the people who helped define it. By speaking openly about his stroke and recovery, he has offered a frank look at the vulnerabilities and perseverance beneath the glamour of the fashion world. For fans and colleagues alike, his insistence that "it’s not over for me yet" serves as a hopeful promise that the familiar figure who taught generations of models the art of walking may one day reclaim the runway.
