Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over ANTM Docuseries, Alleging Defamation and Misleading Editing
Tyra Banks, the creator and longtime host of America’s Next Top Model, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the filmmakers behind the docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, accusing them of distorting her words through selective editing.
The lawsuit, filed in a Los Angeles federal court, claims the series misrepresents Banks by cutting a lengthy interview down to a small portion and removing key context that, she argues, fundamentally changed the meaning of her statements. According to court filings, Banks participated in a roughly 3½-hour interview that was later reduced to about 16 minutes in the final documentary cut.
Allegations of “selective editing”
Banks’ legal team argues that the documentary constructed a “false and defamatory narrative” by omitting sections where she allegedly acknowledged responsibility for controversial aspects of ANTM. Instead, the edited version is said to portray her as dismissive and evasive regarding serious allegations discussed in the series.
A key point of contention is the documentary’s implication that Banks was aware of — or dismissed — a contestant’s alleged sexual assault during the show’s production. The lawsuit says she was not informed of certain allegations during her interview and was not given an opportunity to respond to claims made by other participants before the series aired.
Claims of reputational and business harm
Banks also argues that the portrayal has caused reputational damage and spillover effects on her business interests, including negative public reactions directed at her brand following the documentary’s release. Her legal filing claims Netflix and the producers refused requests to release unedited interview footage and did not allow fact-checking before publication.
She is seeking damages and a jury trial, as well as an injunction preventing the use of her image in connection with the docuseries’ associated soundtrack and promotional materials.
Netflix has not responded publicly
As of now, Netflix and the documentary’s producers have not issued a formal public response to the lawsuit.
The case adds another layer of controversy to the ongoing reassessment of America’s Next Top Model, a show that has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years over its treatment of contestants and production practices.
