Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over ‘Top Model’ Docuseries: REPORT

Tyra Banks is taking on Netflix in court — and the allegations are serious.

The former America’s Next Top Model host has filed a lawsuit against Netflix and the producers of the streamer’s recent Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model docuseries, alleging that her interview was edited to create a false and damaging narrative.

According to the lawsuit, Banks believes viewers were left with a very different impression than what she actually said.

Claims of Manipulation

According to court documents obtained by Variety, Banks is suing Netflix, 89 Blocks Holdings, EverWonder Studio, Netflix Music, and the documentary’s co-directors, Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan.

The lawsuit includes claims of defamation, false light, breach of contract, and false endorsement.

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Banks’ attorneys allege she sat for a three-and-a-half-hour interview for the project, but only about 16 minutes ultimately appeared in the final docuseries.

According to the filing, the edited footage was then “reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed.”

The suit also claims portions of the interview where Banks accepted responsibility for some of the show’s shortcomings were left out entirely.

The Allegation at the Center of the Lawsuit

One of the lawsuit’s biggest complaints involves former America’s Next Top Model contestant Shandi Sullivan.

According to the filing, the documentary includes a discussion of a controversial incident involving Sullivan during the show’s second cycle.

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Banks claims producers withheld key context during her interview before asking if she remembered Sullivan’s story.

The lawsuit argues that the series then edited her response in a way that suggested she either didn’t remember or was indifferent to what happened.

“The implication is devastating and deliberate,” the lawsuit states. Banks’ attorneys claim unedited footage shows she actually responded, “I do remember her story.”

Seeking Damages

Banks hosted America’s Next Top Model for 22 cycles beginning in 2003 and remained one of the most recognizable faces in reality television throughout the show’s run.

Now, she’s asking for a jury trial and seeking punitive damages.

Netflix has not publicly responded to the lawsuit. If the case moves forward, it could shine a spotlight on how documentary interviews are edited — and whether those edits can cross the line into defamation.