Model and America's Next Top Model creator Tyra Banks has launched a defamation case against Netflix, directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, and EverWonder Studio. The lawsuit, filed Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, contests the documentary's portrayal of Banks in relation to allegations involving a contestant's sexual assault on the show.
Banks' legal team argues that the docuseries employed "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage" to construct a false narrative. The lawsuit claims the producers made it appear Banks knew about a sexual assault accusation and was deliberately evasive, when she had never been informed of the matter during her interview with the production team.
According to court documents, Banks was not permitted to view the docuseries until one day before its February 16 release. Her legal representatives say she received no opportunity for fact-checking after interviews and was denied a chance to respond to allegations from other participants, including former judges involved as consultants. "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 lawyers wrote.
Banks seeks damages and an injunction preventing the use of her image in relation to the documentary's soundtrack, which was released as a separate album. In March, her legal team requested access to the full interview footage from Netflix and EverWonder, but the request was denied, according to the lawsuit.
America's Next Top Model, which debuted in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons, has faced renewed scrutiny in recent years over body-shaming accusations, contestant manipulation, and controversial photoshoots. Banks previously acknowledged "the insensitivity of past ANTM moments" and accepted responsibility for "some really off choices." The lawsuit notes that the documentary's release prompted negative online reviews, with Banks' ice cream shop SMiZE & DREAM in Sydney, Australia, becoming the target of review bombing on Google.
"Every other conversation about ANTM's legacy - including the candid reflection Ms. Banks came prepared to have - is now drowned out by an accusation she was never given the chance to answer," her lawyers stated. "This lawsuit is that answer - particularly after her efforts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and the producers were refused."
