In 2016, former America's Next Top Model host Tyra Banks surprised her fans when she announced that she and then-boyfriend Erik Asla had just welcomed a baby boy via surrogate. The following year, the couple had an amicable split but have maintained a good co-parenting relationship since. Their son, York Banks is now 5 years old and has been making fans wonder why he hasn't been in the limelight as much as his mother.

Media outlets have been circulating rare photos of York in the last years — exciting fans about the possibility that he might follow in his mom's footsteps as a model. Meanwhile, the Dancing with the Stars host once said that she even regrets posting a photo of her son on Instagram. Here's why and how she's raising York away from Hollywood.

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Tough Journey To Motherhood

When Banks had her son, she had been dating Asla — a Norwegian photographer — for 3 years. According to the former Victoria's Secret model, having York was a tough journey for her and her then-partner. "I've had some not happy moments with [IVF], very traumatic moments," the Life-Size star told People in 2015. "I hope [for kids]. I don’t just want one child. I want a litter! And I want to be the kind of mom where my child can come to me for anything."

A source also revealed that the model-turned-entrepreneur had been "harvesting eggs" for 18 months before she had her baby because "implanted embryos weren't working for her to carry." Despite these challenges, she still felt like, "it was meant to be." The source added that "she is great with kids and always wanted to be a mother."

Even Banks' mother, Carolyn London, thought it was a huge achievement for her multihyphenate daughter. "The way she communicates with York blows me away," London said. "She’s amazing." True enough, the Coyote Ugly actress is a hands-on mother to her only son. That's why she's also made the conscious choice of raising him in a non-celebrity way.

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Keeping It Private

The only time Banks has ever posted a photo of her son was when she was trying to beat the paparazzi to it. "I'm trying to hide him with a blanket. I pull over the gas station after they get the shot," she said in the Late Night with Seth Meyers. "I text his dad and I'm like, 'I've got to put this picture out before the paparazzi. I don't want them to make money off our child and have the first picture.' So, I posted the damn picture."

Banks also didn't tell her closest friends about the baby until she'd made the official announcement via Instagram. "The reason she kept it so private is because the heartbreak has been so intense with many false starts and failed attempts, that she didn’t want to say anything until the baby actually arrived," an insider revealed to ET.

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"She kept the secret from even her closest friends until yesterday [a few days after the official announcement], and reached out to a small circle right before she announced to the world." Even the TV host's circle couldn't believe how she's managed to keep it all a secret. "We're all talking about it now but we can't figure out how it was kept a secret," a different source said. "Tyra is a private person. She never talked about her personal life when she was there. She came in, did her s**t and left."

Closing The Model Path

Banks couldn't keep photos of her son from getting out. And fans wish she'd share more snaps of her son who they think would follow in his mom's footsteps as a model. They've even pointed out that York got his mother's smize. However, the Modelland author "wouldn’t love for him to model." But she added: "I wouldn’t tell him, 'Don’t do it,' because then he'd do it more."

She didn't elaborate on the reason behind it, but fans think that it has something to do with keeping his son away from an industry that could be cruel when it comes to physical appearances. "I’m trying to teach him [positive] messages because I’m his first role model when it comes to beauty and accepting different types of women, so we practice that a lot at home," Banks opened up about the importance of teaching body positivity to her son.

But in the end, the former model will always be supportive of whatever path her son takes. "I’m going to support what he wants and just hope it’s not modeling!" she said, clarifying her earlier statement. "But if it is, I’ll be telling him how to smize." Well, it looks like York has already mastered that skill.

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