Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the directors of the docuseries Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, claiming the producers manipulated interview footage to create a false narrative. The lawsuit, filed on Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, alleges that Banks was interviewed for three and a half hours but only 16 minutes were used, edited to suggest she allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted.
Banks, who created and hosted the reality competition series from 2003 to 2015, said she took responsibility for some controversial decisions during the interview, but those moments were cut. “The accountability Ms. Banks took ended up on the cutting room floor,” her lawyers wrote. The lawsuit claims the producers used “selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation” to imply Banks knew about the assault and tried to evade questions, despite not being told about it during the interview.
Banks is seeking damages and an injunction against the use of her image in connection with the docuseries’ soundtrack. She also alleges she was not allowed to review the series until a day before its release on 16 February, and that requests for full interview footage were denied. Since the series aired, public reaction has been harsh, with even her ice cream shop in Sydney receiving negative reviews.
“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. The lawsuit argues that Banks’ efforts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix were refused.
