Tyra Banks, who created and hosted America's Next Top Model, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the directors of a recent docuseries about the show. The case, filed Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, names directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, as well as production company EverWonder Studio as defendants. Banks is seeking monetary damages and an injunction to prevent her image from being used in connection with the docuseries' accompanying soundtrack album.
According to the lawsuit, producers employed "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation" of interview footage to construct a false narrative. The filing alleges that the documentary was edited to suggest Banks knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on set, exploited the victim's trauma for ratings, and then feigned ignorance when confronted about the incident during interviews. Banks' legal team contends she was never informed about or questioned regarding the assault claim before cameras rolled.
Banks' lawyers argue that crucial material demonstrating her accountability was filmed but removed before broadcast. "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," the filing states. The model was only permitted to preview the finished series one day before its February 16 release and was given no opportunity to respond to allegations from other programme participants.
The lawsuit highlights concerns about the documentary's editorial process, noting that other judges from the competition show—including one whose representatives claim harbours resentment toward Banks—served as consultants influencing the series' direction. Banks' legal team argues she would have declined participation had she understood the extent of their involvement and her own exclusion from such consultative roles.
Since the docuseries debuted, Banks has faced intense public backlash, the lawsuit claims. Her ice cream shop SMiZE & DREAM in Sydney, Australia, has been subjected to review bombing on Google. When Banks' representatives requested access to unedited interview footage in March, Netflix and EverWonder denied the request. The legal action follows unsuccessful efforts to resolve the dispute directly with the streaming platform and producers.
