Lisa D'Amato, the winner of America's Next Top Model: All Stars, has publicly accused Tyra Banks of using her upcoming Netflix documentary to downplay past behavior that could lead to her cancellation by modern standards. D'Amato, who first appeared on the show in 2005 during its fifth cycle before winning the All Stars edition in 2011, expressed her concerns in an interview with Page Six.
Accountability and Financial Motives
D'Amato stated that Banks will need to take some accountability to save face and secure future financial opportunities. She estimated that Banks might only accept about five percent responsibility for her past actions. The documentary, titled Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, is set to premiere on Netflix and promises to explore the reality show's complex legacy through interviews with Banks, models, judges, and insiders.
Manipulation of Narrative
D'Amato admitted she is worried that Banks' admitted wrongdoings related to the series will be manipulated and softened in an effort to reset the narrative. On Instagram, D'Amato revealed that she has heard Banks has a significant influence on the creative aspects of the documentary, suggesting that Banks will likely spin events to benefit her own image.
D'Amato told Page Six that she will be closely monitoring what former contestants say in the documentary. "I know their true experience and how much it affected their lives, so I'll be watching it more to see how that gets portrayed and edited," she explained.
Banks' Admission and Context
In previews for the special, Banks acknowledged that she went too far with certain aspects of America's Next Top Model. She attributed this to trying to meet viewer demands during a time when edginess was prevalent in mainstream culture. "It was very, very intense," Banks said. "But you guys were demanding it, so we kept pushing more and more and more."
Profit as a Driving Factor
D'Amato suggested that profit is a key motivator for Banks in admitting past mistakes. "Tyra's all about making money," D'Amato asserted. "She doesn't have any real empathy for anybody else but herself." She added that her intuition, based on years of personal experience, tells her this is a money grab to avoid being fully canceled.
Rival Documentary and Personal Struggles
D'Amato, who has over 264,000 followers on her primary Instagram account, is appearing in a rival documentary for E! titled Dirty Rotten Scandals, which debuts on March 11. In a preview, she described ANTM as more of a psychological warfare than a modeling competition, saying, "I trusted you with my dreams. How dare you take my f***ing life away from me."
On Instagram, D'Amato framed her outspokenness as doing God's work against injustice, adding, "Stand for something or fall for anything." Daily Mail has reached out to D'Amato and representatives for Banks for comment on these latest remarks.
Personal Life and Medical Refuge
Currently, D'Amato is residing in Southwestern Europe, where she is caring for her ailing father, who battles Type 2 Diabetes and multiple sclerosis. In 2025, she told Daily Mail that she and her father moved overseas as medical refugees, believing he could receive better healthcare there than in the United States.
"My dad was not well - I took him out of the U.S. and he's thriving," D'Amato said. "The USA was basically eating him alive and made my dad like a vegetable while robbing him blind. Since moving my family - I guess it's the new American dream to get out of the United States!"
