Tyra Banks has filed a federal lawsuit against Netflix, accusing the streaming platform of misrepresenting her in the docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, which examines the legacy of America’s Next Top Model. The complaint, filed Saturday in California, says Banks was portrayed in a false and defamatory way through selective editing and the removal of important context from her interview.
According to the lawsuit, Banks agreed to participate because she believed the project would present an honest look at both the successes and the controversies surrounding the long-running reality competition. She says she participated in a roughly three-and-a-half-hour interview and addressed difficult moments from the show, including incidents she said she would handle differently today.
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Banks alleges that only a small portion of her interview was used in the final version of the docuseries. The filing claims producers excluded key context and omitted parts in which she took responsibility for some of the show’s most criticized moments. She further contends that she was not given a meaningful opportunity to respond to accusations assembled by the filmmakers before her interview, and that those allegations were deliberately withheld from her during the process.
The lawsuit argues that Netflix promoted the series as a definitive account of America’s Next Top Model while presenting viewers with a misleading narrative about Banks’ conduct and role on the show. One of Banks’ main objections is to what she says is an implication that she knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted, exploited the incident for ratings, and later failed to remember it. She calls that portrayal a complete fabrication.
Banks also disputes public remarks made by members of the documentary’s creative team about how much of her perspective was included. The filing claims these comments further supported a distorted impression of her involvement and response.
Banks created and hosted America’s Next Top Model, which premiered in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons. She served as host for the show’s first 22 seasons after originally pitching the concept to UPN. The series became one of the most influential and widely discussed reality competitions of its era, but it has also faced years of criticism over its treatment of contestants and the culture it helped shape.
The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and unspecified damages. A Netflix spokesperson declined to comment on ABC News’ request for a response.
The legal action adds a new chapter to the long-running public conversation around America’s Next Top Model and its legacy, centering on whether the new docuseries fairly represented Banks’ role in the franchise or crossed the line into defamation through editing choices and selective storytelling.
