Tyra Banks Sues Netflix for Defamation, Says She Was Manipulated Into Appearing in ‘ANTM’ Documentary

Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, accusing the streaming platform of misleading editing and false portrayal in its documentary series “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.” According to the complaint reported by People, Banks says she agreed to take part in the project because she wanted viewers to hear an honest conversation about the legacy of “America’s Next Top Model,” including both its achievements and its criticisms.

The lawsuit states that Banks did not place limits on the questions she was willing to answer during a three-and-a-half-hour interview. She claims she spoke openly about the show’s impact and about decisions she would handle differently today. However, Banks says only 16 minutes of her interview appeared in the final cut, and that the footage was edited and rearranged in a way that created a “false and defamatory narrative” unrelated to what she actually said.

Banks argues that Netflix promoted the project as a documentary and described it as a definitive look at the long-running modeling competition. She says that label matters because viewers expect factual reporting and not manufactured drama or manipulated storytelling. The lawsuit claims that the documentary’s framing and editing gave audiences a distorted impression of her role in the show’s controversial moments.

A major point in the suit involves former contestant Shandi Sullivan’s allegations in Cycle 2, when she said she was sexually assaulted by a male model during the cast’s stay in Italy. The documentary revisited that incident, showing footage from the season and Sullivan’s account of what happened. Banks says the program unfairly suggested that she knowingly allowed the assault to happen, exploited Sullivan’s trauma for ratings, and later failed to remember the incident. She calls that depiction a complete fabrication.

The legal filing also disputes a storyline suggesting Banks ignored or minimized inappropriate conduct by a cast member. Banks says that when a crew member reported a pattern of sexual misconduct, she immediately escalated the matter to network executives. She claims production was paused and that cast and crew members received sexual harassment training from an outside expert.

In the docuseries, Banks also acknowledged responsibility for some of the show’s more controversial elements, though she now says her comments were taken out of context. She contends that the final version of the documentary selectively used her remarks and omitted important context to support claims that she never made.

Banks is seeking a jury trial and damages, with the amount to be determined by the court. A representative for Banks did not immediately comment further. The lawsuit adds another layer of scrutiny to the legacy of “America’s Next Top Model,” a series that shaped reality television while also drawing criticism over its treatment of contestants and controversial storylines.