{"id":501838,"date":"2026-06-16T03:49:15","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T03:49:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/501838\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T03:49:15","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T03:49:15","slug":"tyra-banks-sues-netflix-over-americas-next-top-model-documentary-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/501838\/","title":{"rendered":"Tyra Banks sues Netflix over America\u2019s Next Top Model documentary \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix<\/a> and the directors of its docuseries Reality Check: Inside America\u2019s Next Top Model<\/a>, alleging that the producers stripped down hours of interview footage to construct a false narrative.<\/p>\n

In the lawsuit filed on Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, the model who created and hosted America\u2019s Next Top Model (ANTM) said she was interviewed for 3\u00bd hours, during which she took responsibility for some of the show\u2019s controversial decisions.<\/p>\n

Those interviews were edited down to 16 minutes and manipulated \u201cto support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed\u201d, the lawsuit said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe accountability Ms Banks took ended up on the cutting room floor. It was there, but viewers were never given the opportunity to see it,\u201d her lawyers wrote.<\/p>\n

Banks is seeking damages in her lawsuit against Netflix, the directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy and EverWonder Studio. She is also seeking an injunction barring the use of her image in connection with the docuseries\u2019 soundtrack, released as an album.<\/p>\n

Emails seeking comments were sent on Sunday to the defendants\u2019 representatives.<\/p>\n

ANTM launched in 2003 and ran for 24 series. In recent years, the reality competition series has undergone a critical re-evaluation over accusations of body shaming, manipulation of contestants and problematic photoshoots.<\/p>\n

Banks has previously addressed those criticisms, acknowledging \u201cthe insensitivity of past ANTM moments\u201d and \u201csome really off choices\u201d.<\/p>\n

The lawsuit contends that the producers of the Netflix docuseries used \u201cselective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage\u201d to formulate a narrative that Banks allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on the show, used the contestant\u2019s trauma to drum up ratings and then could not remember it when asked during the interviews.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Reality Check: Inside America\u2019s Next Top Model on Netflix \u2013 A shocking look back at Tyra Banks\u2019 stomach-turning circusOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\u201cDefendants edited the Netflix series to make it appear that Ms Banks knew she was being asked about a sexual assault and was intentionally trying to evade the topic,\u201d the lawsuit stated, contending that Banks had not been told \u2013 or asked \u2013 about the assault during the interview.<\/p>\n

Banks\u2019 lawyers wrote that she was not permitted to review the docuseries until a day before its February 16th release.<\/p>\n

According to the lawsuit, she had not been contacted for fact-checking after her interviews, and was not given an opportunity to respond to accusations from other participants.<\/p>\n

Other judges from the show, including one her lawyers contend holds a grudge against Banks, consulted on the docuseries.<\/p>\n

\u201cHad Ms Banks known these individuals were so deeply involved in the formulation of the Netflix series, also serving as consultants shaping the editorial direction, and that she had been excluded from such a role, it would have raised a red flag,\u201d the lawsuit read.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe would have known she was being set up. She would not have participated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Banks\u2019 lawyers approached Netflix in March to request access to the full footage of her interviews. Netflix and EverWonder denied that request, according to the lawsuit.<\/p>\n

Since the docuseries\u2019 release, public reaction has been \u201cswift, harsh and directed squarely at Ms Banks\u201d \u2013 even Smize & Dream, her ice cream shop in Sydney, Australia, has been subject to review bombing on Google, the lawsuit read.<\/p>\n

The Associated Press sent an email seeking further detail from Banks\u2019 lawyers and representatives on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery other conversation about ANTM\u2019s legacy \u2013 including the candid reflection Ms Banks came prepared to have \u2013 is now drowned out by an accusation she was never given the chance to answer,\u201d her lawyers wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis lawsuit is that answer \u2013 particularly after her efforts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and the producers were refused.\u201d \u2013 Associated Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tyra Banks has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the directors of its docuseries Reality Check: Inside…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":501839,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[93,61,60,1868],"class_list":["post-501838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entertainment","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-netflix"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=501838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/501838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/501839"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=501838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=501838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=501838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}