Supermodel and television personality Tyra Banks has taken Netflix to court, filing a defamation lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court on Saturday over a docuseries examining the legacy of her long-running reality competition show.
The lawsuit targets Netflix, directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, and EverWonder Studio — the team behind “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.” Banks, who created and hosted the original show, claims the production team took roughly 3.5 hours of her interview footage and whittled it down to just 16 minutes, manipulating the remaining clips to craft what she calls a completely false and damaging story.
“The accountability Ms. Banks took ended up on the cutting room floor. It was there, but viewers were never given the opportunity to see it,” her attorneys wrote in the filing.
At the heart of the lawsuit is an allegation that the documentary’s editing made it appear as though Banks knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on the show, then exploited that trauma for ratings, and later pretended not to remember it during her interview. Her legal team argues she was never told about the assault during the interview and was never asked about it directly.
“Defendants edited the Netflix Series to make it appear that Ms. Banks knew she was being asked about a sexual assault and was intentionally trying to evade the topic,” the lawsuit stated.
Banks’ attorneys also noted that she was not allowed to preview the docuseries until just one day before its February 16 release. She was not contacted for fact-checking after her interviews wrapped, and she was given no opportunity to respond to statements made by other participants. According to the lawsuit, at least one other former judge from the show — someone her lawyers say holds a personal grudge against Banks — served as a consultant and helped shape the documentary’s direction.
“Had Ms. Banks known these individuals were so deeply involved in the formulation of the Netflix Series, also serving as consultants shaping the editorial direction, and that she had been excluded from such a role, it would have raised a red flag,” the lawsuit read. “She would have known she was being set up. She would not have participated.”
In March, Banks’ legal team formally requested that Netflix hand over the complete, unedited footage from her interviews. Both Netflix and EverWonder refused, according to the lawsuit.
The fallout from the documentary has been significant. The lawsuit notes that public backlash has been “swift, harsh, and directed squarely at Ms. Banks” — even her ice cream shop, SMiZE & DREAM, located in Sydney, Australia, has reportedly been targeted with negative reviews on Google.
Banks is seeking financial damages as well as a court order blocking the use of her image in connection with the docuseries’ soundtrack, which was released as an album.
“America’s Next Top Model” first aired in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons. In recent years, the show has faced mounting criticism over allegations of body shaming, contestant manipulation, and controversial photoshoots. Banks had previously acknowledged “the insensitivity of past ANTM moments” and “some really off choices.”
Her attorneys say those admissions — the very accountability she came prepared to discuss — were left out of the final cut entirely.
“Every other conversation about ANTM’s legacy — including the candid reflection Ms. Banks came prepared to have — is now drowned out by an accusation she was never given the chance to answer,” her lawyers wrote. “This lawsuit is that answer — particularly after her efforts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and the producers were refused.”
Representatives for the defendants had not responded to requests for comment as of Sunday.
