Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over Alleged Manipulative Editing in Documentary

Former model Tyra Banks filed a defamation lawsuit on Saturday against Netflix, accusing the streaming giant of portraying her falsely in the documentary series "Beyond the Reality: Behind America's Next Top Model." According to U.S. reports cited in the article, Banks says the program used manipulative editing to make it appear that she ignored, or tried to avoid, questions about an alleged sexual assault involving contestant Shandi Sullivan from the show's second season.

Banks says she did not know about Sullivan's allegations at the time of the interview, and that answers she gave on other subjects were deliberately attached to the assault-related discussion. The complaint says she was interviewed for about 3.5 hours, but only 16 minutes were used in the final documentary. It accuses Netflix of "selective editing and surgical manipulation" aimed at creating a narrative that Banks exploited the contestant's trauma for ratings. "This is a false narrative and complete fiction that was broadcast to millions of viewers," the suit says.

Banks said the program damaged her reputation and her business interests. She claims the impact included a significant drop in traffic for her ice cream brand, SMiZE & DREAM, after the series aired. She is seeking compensation for lost income and future business opportunities, but the amount has not yet been disclosed.

The documentary focuses on the complicated legacy of "America's Next Top Model," which ran for 24 seasons and was often criticized for promoting thinness, racism, and exploitation. Banks said she agreed to take part in the project to have an honest conversation about the show's successes and failures, but argues that intention was used to smear her instead.