Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over America's Next Top Model Documentary
Tyra Banks says a Netflix documentary didn't just criticize her. She says it completely changed the story.
The former supermodel and creator of America's Next Top Model has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the filmmakers behind Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model.
According to court filings, Tyra believes the series manipulated her interview footage and created a false impression about her role in some of the show's most controversial moments.
Tyra Banks Defamation Lawsuit Says Netflix Edited Her Interview Beyond Recognition
At the center of the dispute is a lengthy interview Banks gave for the documentary.
According to the lawsuit, Tyra sat for about three and a half hours of questioning. But, she claims that only about 16 minutes of it were used in the final series.
As a result, Tyra says the portions where she acknowledged her mistakes and accepted responsibility for certain aspects of the show were removed, leaving viewers with a distorted version of what she actually said.
The lawsuit alleges that the finished documentary used selective editing and omitted important context to support a narrative that Tyra says is false.
The Most Serious Claim Involves Alleged Sexual Assault
One of the most significant parts of the lawsuit involves former contestant Shandi Sullivan.
Tyra feels the documentary created the impression that she knew about an alleged sexual assault involving Shandi during production and either ignored it or allowed the situation to be used for television ratings.
Tyra strongly denies that characterization. According to the complaint, Tyra says she was never informed that Shandi would make those allegations in the documentary and wasn’t given an opportunity to directly respond to them before the series was released.
She also argues that viewers were left with the impression that she knowingly allowed misconduct to occur, something she says is completely untrue.
Tyra Says the Documentary Hurt Her Reputation
The Tyra Banks lawsuit with Netflix also claims that the documentary damaged her reputation and business interests.
Tyra alleges that the series triggered a wave of public backlash and negative attention that affected both her personal brand and business ventures. She’s seeking damages and has requested a jury trial.
Netflix hasn’t publicly responded in court to the allegations, and the company has largely declined to comment on the lawsuit.
A New Chapter in the ANTM Debate
The America's Next Top Model documentary has already sparked renewed conversations about the show's legacy, from beauty standards and reality television ethics to the treatment of contestants.
This lawsuit is adding another layer to that discussion. The case will ultimately determine whether the documentary crossed the line from criticism into defamation.
But, for now, the dispute centers on a question that often appears in documentary filmmaking: where does editing end and misrepresentation begin?
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