Supermodel and television personality Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the directors of a docuseries about her hit reality show, claiming the production used manipulative editing techniques to damage her reputation. The case, filed Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, names Netflix, directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, and EverWonder Studio as defendants. Banks is seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing the use of her image in connection with the docuseries' accompanying soundtrack album.
The lawsuit alleges that filmmakers employed "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage" to construct a false narrative suggesting Banks allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on the show. According to court documents, the edited version depicts Banks as intentionally avoiding discussion of this incident during interviews, when in fact she had not been informed or asked about the alleged assault beforehand. Her legal team emphasised that material showing Banks taking accountability was filmed but removed from the final cut.
Banks created and hosted "America's Next Top Model," which debuted in 2003 and produced 24 seasons before conclusion. The programme has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years over allegations of body shaming, contestant manipulation and insensitive photoshoots. Banks has previously acknowledged "the insensitivity of past ANTM moments" and owned responsibility for "some really off choices" made during the show's run.
Court documents reveal that Banks was given access to the documentary only one day before its February 16 release date, preventing meaningful review. Netflix refused to provide unedited interview footage when her lawyers requested it in March, the lawsuit states. Additionally, other judges from the programme — including one Banks' legal team contends harboured personal animosity toward her — served as consultants shaping the documentary's editorial direction, a fact she was not informed about beforehand.
Since the docuseries aired, Banks has experienced significant public backlash. Her ice cream establishment, SMiZE & DREAM, located in Sydney, Australia, has been targeted with review bombing on Google, according to court filings. Her lawyers contend that Banks attempted to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and the producers, but those efforts were declined. The lawsuit represents her formal response to allegations she was never given opportunity to address.
