Tyra Banks sues Netflix over portrayal in 'America's Next Top Model' docuseries
Tyra Banks is taking legal action against Netflix, alleging that the streaming giant misrepresented her in its recent docuseries examining the legacy of "America’s Next Top Model."
According to a federal lawsuit filed Saturday in California, Banks claimed her appearance in "Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model" was edited in a way that created a false and defamatory portrayal of her role on the long-running reality competition series. She is seeking a jury trial and unspecified damages, according to the complaint obtained by ABC News.
In the filing, Banks says she agreed to participate in the project because she believed it would offer viewers an honest discussion about both the successes and criticisms of "America’s Next Top Model."
The lawsuit states that she sat for a roughly three-and-a-half-hour interview and answered questions about controversial moments from the show, including decisions she says she would handle differently today.
However, Banks alleges that only a small portion of her interview ultimately appeared in the finished series. The lawsuit claims producers removed key context and omitted portions in which she accepted responsibility for some of the show’s most criticized moments.
Banks claims she was not given an "opportunity to respond to the accusations they were building into the Netflix Series -- accusations they had gathered from other participants before Ms. Banks ever sat down, and which they deliberately withheld from her during the interview".
The filing argues that the docuseries, which Netflix promoted as a definitive account of "America’s Next Top Model," presented viewers with a misleading narrative. Banks specifically objects to what she describes as an implication that she knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted, exploited the incident for ratings and later failed to remember it. The lawsuit calls that portrayal "a complete fabrication."
Banks also challenges public comments made by members of the documentary’s creative team regarding the extent to which her perspective was included in the series.
The supermodel, entrepreneur and television personality created and hosted "America’s Next Top Model," which premiered in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons. Banks served as host for the show’s first 22 seasons after successfully pitching the concept to UPN.
A Netflix spokesperson declined ABC News' request for comment.
