Former “America’s Next Top Model” (ANTM) host Tyra Banks has sued Netflix and the producers of the docuseries “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” claiming her testimony was manipulated through selective editing that misrepresented her views and damaged her
reputation.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by Variety, Banks is suing Netflix, 89 Blocks Holdings, EverWonder Studio, Netflix Music and co-directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan for false light, defamation by implication, breach of contract and false endorsement.
The complaint alleges that Banks participated in a three-and-a-half-hour interview for the series, but only about 16 minutes of footage was ultimately used. Her attorneys argue that the remaining material was edited and rearranged to support a narrative unrelated to what she actually
said.
The lawsuit further claims that comments in which Banks acknowledged shortcomings of the long-running reality show were omitted from the final version, while other portions of the interview were presented in a misleading manner.
According to the filing, the producers created the false impression that Banks knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted during the show, exploited the contestant’s trauma for ratings and later failed to remember the incident when questioned about it.
One of the central claims in the lawsuit concerns former ANTM contestant Shandi Sullivan from the show’s second cycle. The complaint states that Sullivan described an incident that occurred during filming as an assault in the Netflix series, something Banks says she had never previously heard and was not informed about before her interview.
The lawsuit alleges that the series shows director Mor Loushy asking Banks whether she remembered Sullivan’s story. After Banks briefly pauses, the episode cuts to black, creating the impression that she could not recall the incident.
Banks’ attorneys contend that the unedited footage tells a different story, showing her nodding and responding, “I do remember her story,” before the exchange was allegedly altered through editing.
