Key facts
- Tyra Banks is suing Netflix, Everwonder Studio, and directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan for defamation.
- The lawsuit alleges that the docuseries "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model" manipulated interview footage of Banks.
- Banks claims producers selectively edited her 3.5-hour interview down to 16 minutes, omitting her accountability for show controversies.
- The suit states Banks was not informed of a contestant's alleged sexual assault during her interview and her responses were manipulated.
- Banks is seeking damages and the removal of her image from the documentary's soundtrack.
Tyra Banks has filed a 65-page defamation lawsuit against Netflix, the producers Everwonder Studio, and directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan, alleging that the streaming service falsely portrayed her in the three-part docuseries "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model." Released in February, the documentary chronicled the rise and cultural impact of "America's Next Top Model." Banks' legal team claims that producers selectively edited and manipulated her extensive 3.5-hour interview, reducing it to approximately 16 minutes of footage to support a narrative unrelated to her actual statements. The lawsuit asserts that parts of her interview where she took responsibility for the show's controversies were omitted, and that she was not informed of a contestant's account of a sexual assault during her interview. Banks' attorneys stated that producers used "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation" to create a false narrative, particularly regarding her alleged awareness of the assault, which they claim was used to boost ratings. The suit also notes that Netflix denied a request for unedited footage and did not provide Banks an opportunity to respond to allegations from other participants. Banks is seeking damages and the removal of her image from the documentary's soundtrack album cover.