American model, television personality, producer, writer and actress Tyra Banks filed a lawsuit against Netflix on Saturday, alleging that the streamer and the makers of the documentary series ‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model’ defamed her through the editing of an interview she gave for the production.
The former *America’s Next Top Model* host is suing Netflix, 89 Blocks Holdings, EverWonder Studio, Netflix Music, and co-directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan. The lawsuit includes claims of false light, defamation by implication, breach of contract and false endorsement.
According to the legal filing, Banks participated in a three-and-a-half-hour interview for the series, which was later reduced to approximately 16 minutes. Her lawyers argue that the remaining footage was reassembled to support what they describe as a false and defamatory narrative that did not reflect her actual comments.
The lawsuit states that the accountability Banks accepted regarding some of the programme’s shortcomings was omitted from the final version.
“Worse, the false narrative the producers constructed, through selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage, included that Ms. Banks knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on her show, exploited that contestant’s trauma for ratings, and then could not even remember it when asked,” the filing states.
It further alleges that the portrayal was “a complete fabrication” that was streamed to a global audience.
Representatives for Netflix had not publicly responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
One of the examples highlighted in the lawsuit concerns former *America’s Next Top Model* contestant Shadni Sullivan.
According to the filing, Sullivan’s story has been a topic of discussion surrounding the reality series for many years. The lawsuit claims that during Banks’ interview, producers did not inform her that Sullivan would describe an incident featured in the documentary as an assault.
The lawsuit alleges that director Mor Loushy asked Banks, “You remember the story with Shandi?” before the documentary showed Banks glancing upward, saying “um”, and the screen cutting to black.
Banks’ legal team argues that the edited sequence falsely implied she could not remember the incident. They claim unedited footage shows her nodding and responding, “I do remember her story.”
Banks hosted *America’s Next Top Model* for 22 cycles after the programme launched in 2003. Through the lawsuit, she is seeking a jury trial and an appropriate amount of punitive damages.
The case centres on claims that the documentary’s editing created a misleading impression of Banks’ comments and conduct, allegations that Netflix and the other defendants have yet to publicly address.
