Tyra Banks launched a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and the directors of its controversial docuseries in Los Angeles federal court on Saturday. The model and creator of "America's Next Top Model" alleges the streaming platform, alongside directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy and production company EverWonder Studio, distorted her words through editing tactics to construct a damaging narrative. Banks is pursuing monetary damages and an injunction preventing the use of her image in connection with the series' soundtrack album.

According to the legal filing, the documentary employed "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage" to suggest Banks knowingly permitted a contestant to experience sexual assault, capitalised on the trauma for ratings, and feigned ignorance when questioned about the incident. Banks' legal team contends she was not informed beforehand that she would be questioned about this matter during filming. The lawsuit states the Netflix series presented her responses in a manner designed to make viewers believe she was deliberately sidestepping the topic.

Banks was given access to the finished documentary merely 24 hours before its 16 February release, according to court documents. She was not requested to participate in fact-checking procedures following her interviews, nor did she receive the opportunity to address allegations raised by other former judges and show participants. The lawsuit notes that one of these judges is someone Banks' attorneys claim harboured resentment toward her, raising questions about potential bias in the editorial process.

After requesting complete footage of her interviews in March, Netflix and EverWonder rejected Banks' appeal, the lawsuit indicates. Since the documentary aired, the backlash has significantly impacted the television personality's standing, with her Sydney ice cream shop SMiZE & DREAM experiencing coordinated negative reviews on Google, the filing documents. Banks' attorneys emphasise that her prepared, introspective remarks about the show's troubled legacy have been overshadowed by an accusation she was never afforded proper opportunity to address.

ANTM debuted in 2003 and completed 24 seasons before concluding. The reality competition programme has undergone intense scrutiny in recent times, facing allegations of contestant body shaming, psychological manipulation, and culturally insensitive challenges. Banks has previously made public statements recognising "the insensitivity of past ANTM moments" and acknowledged "some really off choices" made during the show's run. She maintains efforts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and the production team were declined, prompting the legal action.