Tyra Banks sues Netflix over ‘America’s Next Top Model’ docuseries, alleging defamation and manipulation

Tyra Banks has filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the producers behind Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, alleging that the docuseries misrepresented her through selective editing and created what she describes as a “false and defamatory” narrative.

Tyra Banks sues Netflix

The lawsuit, filed on Saturday, centres on Banks’ appearance in the three-part documentary, which revisits the cultural impact and controversies surrounding the long-running reality competition series America’s Next Top Model (ANTM). According to court documents, Banks claims she agreed to participate because she believed viewers deserved an honest discussion about the programme’s successes and shortcomings.

“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.

Claims of selective editing

At the heart of the complaint is Banks’ allegation that producers conducted a three-and-a-half-hour interview with her but ultimately used only around 16 minutes of footage in the finished series. She argues that key portions of her responses, including moments in which she accepted responsibility for some of the show's more controversial aspects, were omitted.

According to the filing, the edited version of her interview stripped crucial context from her remarks and presented viewers with a misleading account of her role in several incidents discussed in the documentary. Banks contends that the programme was marketed as a factual documentary and that audiences therefore expected an accurate representation of events.

The lawsuit further alleges that producers used “selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage” to construct a narrative suggesting she knowingly ignored or enabled harmful conduct during the show's production.

Controversial moments revisited

The documentary revisits several contentious episodes from ANTM’s history, including allegations raised by former contestant Shandi Sullivan regarding an incident she later described as sexual assault during filming. Banks argues that the documentary unfairly implied she was aware of or responsible for events surrounding the incident.

The lawsuit also disputes claims concerning Banks’ relationship with former ANTM judge J. Alexander, known to viewers as Miss J, after he suffered a stroke in 2022. Banks maintains that efforts she made to contact and support him were excluded from the final programme.

Damages sought

Banks is seeking unspecified damages for alleged reputational harm, emotional distress and lost business opportunities, and has requested a jury trial. The complaint additionally seeks to prevent further use of her likeness in connection with promotional materials linked to the documentary and its soundtrack.

Netflix had not publicly responded to the lawsuit as of Saturday.