Tyra Banks Sues Netflix for Defamation, Says Interview Was Edited to Support False Narrative in ANTM Documentary

Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix over the streaming service’s documentary series about America’s Next Top Model, according to People. The lawsuit was filed on Saturday and alleges that Netflix selectively edited Banks’ interview to create a false and damaging narrative about her role in the long-running reality competition.

In the court filing, Banks said she agreed to participate in the documentary because she wanted viewers to hear an honest discussion about the show’s legacy, including both its achievements and its controversies. She said the interview lasted three and a half hours, and that she answered questions freely, including criticism of choices she would handle differently today. However, Banks claims the documentary used only about 16 minutes of her interview and removed important context in order to support what she calls a “manufactured” storyline.

Banks argues that Netflix promoted the project as a factual documentary series and presented it as the definitive account of America’s Next Top Model. She says that viewers reasonably expected a fact-based documentary, not dramatic editing or constructed narratives. According to the lawsuit, the clips shown in the series were taken out of context and rearranged to portray her in a misleading and defamatory way.

One of the central issues in the case involves the show’s handling of a story involving former contestant Shandi Sullivan. Banks says the documentary wrongly suggested that she knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on the show, exploited the trauma for ratings, and then could not remember the incident. She calls that portrayal a complete fabrication. Banks claims that the full interview footage shows she did remember the story and that producers cut out parts of her response to make it appear otherwise.

The lawsuit also addresses comments made in the documentary about Banks’ alleged failure to support Miss J Alexander after he suffered a stroke in 2022. Banks says the implication that she did not care or failed to visit him in the hospital was hurtful and false. She argues that she was living in Australia at the time and was not told that the documentary would include that narrative. She also says she made repeated attempts to contact him and later stayed in touch with him for years.

Banks further says the documentary left out examples showing that she had previously acted to address misconduct on the set of ANTM. She claims that when a crew member reported inappropriate sexual behavior by a cast member, she escalated the matter to executives, production was paused, and harassment training was conducted.

In the suit, Banks is seeking damages for lost business opportunities, lost income, and emotional distress. She is also requesting a jury trial to decide compensation. Netflix has not publicly responded to the allegations at this time.

The case adds new controversy to America’s Next Top Model, a show that has already faced years of criticism over its treatment of contestants, its challenges, and its behind-the-scenes culture. Banks’ lawsuit now places the spotlight on how the series was framed for audiences and whether the documentary fairly represented her side of the story.