Tyra Banks sued Netflix and the producers of the docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” on Saturday, alleging the program used deceptive editing to portray her in a false and defamatory light.
The civil lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and a jury trial, according to People. Banks alleges that producers used only 16 minutes from a three-and-a-half-hour interview, and omitted key responses to construct a “false and defamatory narrative.”
“Tyra Banks participated in the Netflix documentary series America’s Next Top Model (‘ANTM’) because she believed viewers deserved a candid conversation about the show’s legacy — its successes and its shortcomings,” the lawsuit states. It adds that Banks wanted viewers to hear directly about “aspects of the show for which Ms. Banks takes accountability.”
The suit argues that Netflix marketed the project as a documentary and therefore created for expectation for an accurate account of events. Banks alleges producers selectively edited her interview and removed statements in which she acknowledged criticism of the long-running reality competition series.
According to the lawsuit, footage was “stripped of context and reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed.”
A central claim involves the documentary’s discussion of former contestant Shandi Sullivan, who has said she believes she was sexually assaulted while filming the show’s second season. Banks alleges the series implied that she knowingly allowed the assault to occur, exploited the contestant’s trauma for ratings and later failed to remember the incident.
The complaint specifically challenges a sequence in which Banks appears unable to recall Sullivan’s story. According to the lawsuit, unaired footage shows that Banks nodded and said, “I do remember her story,” but those portions were removed.
Banks also disputes the documentary’s treatment of allegations that she callously failed to support former judge J. Alexander, known as Miss J, after he suffered a stroke in 2022. The lawsuit alleges producers never informed Banks that Alexander would claim she had not visited him; had she been given the opportunity, she would have presented text messages and other communications showing efforts to contact him while she was living in Australia.
The suit further alleges that Banks previously acted swiftly after learning of alleged inappropriate conduct by a “Top Model” cast member. According to the complaint, she reported the matter to executives, escalated it to the network and helped ensure sexual-harassment training was conducted for cast and crew.
Banks alleges the documentary caused reputational damage, emotional distress and lost business opportunities. Netflix had not publicly responded to the lawsuit as of Saturday.
