Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over “Reality Check” Docuseries, Citing Defamation
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Supermodel and media mogul Tyra Banks has launched a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the creators of its recent docuseries, “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.” The lawsuit, filed Saturday in a Los Angeles federal court, alleges that producers deliberately edited her interview footage to construct a misleading and damaging narrative regarding her involvement in the groundbreaking reality competition.
Banks Claims Footage Was “Trimmed Down” and Key Statements Removed
Banks, the visionary behind and long-time host of “America’s Next Top Model,” asserts she underwent a 3½-hour interview for the docuseries. However, she claims this extensive footage was reduced to a mere 16 minutes, with crucial statements where she took accountability for some of the show’s controversial decisions being omitted. “The accountability Ms. Banks took ended up on the cutting room floor. It was there, but viewers were never given the opportunity to see it,” her legal team stated in the filing. The lawsuit specifically contends that the edited series falsely portrays Banks as having condoned a contestant’s sexual assault on the show, exploiting their trauma for ratings, and then feigning ignorance about the incident during her interview.
“America’s Next Top Model”: A Legacy Under Reevaluation
“America’s Next Top Model,” which premiered in 2003 and spanned an impressive 24 seasons, significantly influenced reality television and launched numerous modeling careers. Despite its initial success and cultural impact, the series has faced considerable critical reevaluation in recent years. Accusations of body shaming, psychological manipulation of contestants, and ethically questionable photoshoots have fueled a broader discussion about the show’s legacy. Banks herself has previously acknowledged these criticisms, publicly addressing “the insensitivity of past ANTM moments” and admitting to “some really off choices.”
Lawsuit Targets Netflix, Directors, and Studio
Banks’ lawsuit names Netflix, directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, and EverWonder Studio as defendants, seeking unspecified damages and an injunction. The injunction aims to prevent the further use of her image in connection with the docuseries’ accompanying soundtrack album. Her lawyers assert that Banks was not informed about the specific sexual assault allegation during her interview, making the docuseries’ depiction of her attempting to evade the topic misleading. Furthermore, Banks claims she was only permitted to review the docuseries a day before its February 16 release and was not afforded the opportunity for fact-checking or to respond to accusations made by other participants.
Concerns Over Bias and Lack of Fair Review
The lawsuit also highlights that other former judges from “America’s Next Top Model,” including one Banks’ lawyers suggest harbors a grudge against her, were involved as consultants in shaping the docuseries’ editorial direction. Banks contends that had she been aware of such deep involvement from potentially biased individuals and her exclusion from a similar consultative role, she “would have known she was being set up” and would not have participated in the interviews.
Public Backlash and Banks’ “Answer”
Following the docuseries’ release, public reaction has been “swift, harsh, and directed squarely at Ms. Banks.” This backlash has reportedly extended to her business ventures, with her ice cream shop, SMiZE & DREAM, in Sydney, Australia, experiencing a wave of negative “review bombing” on Google. According to the lawsuit, requests made by Banks’ lawyers to Netflix and EverWonder in March for access to the full interview footage were denied. Banks’ legal team concludes that this lawsuit serves as her definitive “answer” to accusations she was never given a fair chance to address directly, especially after her attempts to resolve the matter with Netflix and the producers were rebuffed.
