American supermodel Tyra Banks has reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix over the documentary series Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.
The docuseries, released in February 2026, revisits the cultural impact and controversies surrounding the show, which ran from 2003 to 2018.
Banks alleges misleading edits and false narrative
Court papers seen by PEOPLE, show that the lawsuit, filed on 13 June, alleges that the series used selective editing of Banks’ interview to construct a misleading narrative about her role in the long-running reality show.
Banks claims she participated in a three-and-a-half-hour interview that was reduced to about 16 minutes of footage, which she says was taken out of context.
She further alleges that the final edit falsely suggested she was aware of and ignored a contestant’s alleged sexual assault during the show.
Banks argues the programme was marketed as a documentary and therefore carried an expectation of factual accuracy.
“Tyra Banks participated in the Netflix documentary series America’s Next Top Model (‘ANTM’) because she believed viewers deserved a candid conversation about the show’s legacy, its successes and its shortcomings,” the court filing states.
Banks is reportedly seeking damages and a jury trial, and is also requesting that her image be removed from promotional material linked to the series.
