Tyra Banks Files Lawsuit Against Netflix for Defamatory America’s Next Top Model Documentary

Tyra Banks is taking legal action against Netflix, claiming that the docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model misrepresented her words. The series, released in February, aimed to shed light on the controversial aspects of America’s Next Top Model, which aired from 2003 to 2018.

In her lawsuit, Banks alleges that her three-and-a-half-hour interview was edited down to just 16 minutes and manipulated to create a false narrative. The docuseries addressed issues such as extreme makeovers, including photoshoots in Blackface and brownface, as well as allegations of sexual assault by a contestant in Season 2. However, Banks argues that she took more responsibility for these controversies than the series portrayed.

Specifically, the lawsuit highlights contestant Shandi Sullivan’s story, where she described a situation as a sexual assault but was portrayed as cheating on her boyfriend in the show. The lawsuit claims that Banks was not informed of Sullivan’s assault allegation during the interview, leading to a misrepresentation of her response in the final cut.

According to the lawsuit, Banks was prepared to discuss the shortcomings of America’s Next Top Model during the interview, but her accountability was not accurately depicted in the released footage. The lawsuit emphasizes that viewers expect documentaries to present facts, not manufactured drama or constructed narratives.

Despite the success of America’s Next Top Model, which drew millions of viewers, Reality Check garnered 14.2 million views in its first week on Netflix. Banks is seeking damages in her lawsuit and is also requesting an injunction to prevent the use of her image in connection with the docuseries’ soundtrack. Netflix and the defendants have yet to respond to CBC News’s request for comment.