Netflix is pushing back against Tyra Banks' defamation lawsuit, asserting that the supermodel was fairly presented in the docuseries "Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model." The streaming service filed court documents on Friday requesting the dismissal of Banks' claims, according to Us Weekly.
Banks, 52, who hosted "America's Next Top Model" for its first 22 seasons, filed her lawsuit in June. She alleges that producers selectively edited a more than three-hour interview, using only about 16 minutes of footage to create a "false and defamatory narrative." According to documents obtained by TMZ, Banks claims the documentary implies she knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on the show and exploited the incident for ratings.
A representative for Netflix stated to Us Weekly that the directors, Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, are "respected documentarians who thoroughly interviewed the people behind America’s Next Top Model." The statement continued, "Tyra Banks was given the opportunity to speak openly about her experience and the creators fairly presented her perspective alongside those of every other participant shown in this documentary. We stand behind "Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model" and will continue to vigorously defend it."
Banks' lawsuit contends that the series employed "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation" of footage. It further alleges the documentary suggested she failed to recall a specific incident when questioned, which she disputes. The suit highlights claims made by Cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan, who alleged she was not adequately protected after a sexual assault during filming. Sullivan claims the incident was later reframed on the show as an infidelity storyline.
Banks asserts in her filing that she was unaware Sullivan would be in the documentary and insists she has acknowledged the incident as a sexual assault. The lawsuit describes the implication that she "cannot even remember" the case as "devastating and deliberate." She is seeking a jury trial to determine damages.
Banks had pitched the "America's Next Top Model" series to UPN, and it debuted in 2003. The lawsuit states that Banks participated in the documentary because she believed viewers deserved a "candid conversation about the show's legacy – its successes and its shortcomings." The filing notes that Banks did not limit the topics the interviewer could address and answered questions about the show's history and criticisms.
According to the lawsuit, viewers of a documentary expect facts, not manufactured drama. Banks' complaint argues that clips were "stripped of context and reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed," and that moments where she took accountability were omitted.
Representatives for Banks did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Daily Mail.