Former supermodel Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix, claiming that the docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model” misrepresented her by using selectively edited interview footage to create a false narrative. The three-part series, which premiered in February, aimed to shed light on controversial aspects of the reality show “America’s Next Top Model” (ANTM) that aired from 2003 to 2018.
Among the topics addressed in the docuseries were the show’s contentious makeovers, including instances of photoshoots involving Blackface and brownface, as well as allegations of sexual misconduct by a contestant from Season 2. However, according to writer Amil Niazi, the series fell short of providing a substantial apology.
In response, Banks, the creator and former host of ANTM, asserts in her legal complaint that the docuseries failed to accurately portray her level of accountability. Court documents reveal that Banks participated in a three-and-a-half-hour interview, but only 16 minutes of her statements were included in the final cut, allegedly manipulated to support a defamatory narrative that diverged from her actual remarks.
The lawsuit specifically highlights the case of contestant Shandi Sullivan from ANTM Season 2. Sullivan, who was shown in a controversial scene involving infidelity, later described the incident as a sexual assault while claiming that the show’s production team misrepresented it as cheating on her boyfriend in the series. Banks maintains that she was unaware of Sullivan’s assault allegation until prompted by the docuseries producers during her interview.
Furthermore, the lawsuit contends that Banks was prepared to address ANTM’s legacy, including its flaws, during the interview, but her expressions of accountability were omitted from the final production. Emphasizing the documentary nature of “Reality Check,” the legal action asserts that viewers anticipate factual content rather than manufactured drama or sensationalized narratives.
Despite the legal dispute, “Reality Check” garnered significant viewership, with Variety magazine reporting 14.2 million views within the first week of its Netflix release. Banks is pursuing damages of an unspecified amount and seeking an injunction to prevent the unauthorized use of her image in connection with the docuseries’ soundtrack album. Netflix and the defendants’ representatives have yet to respond to inquiries from CBC News regarding the lawsuit.