Tyra Banks is suing Netflix and the producers behind a recent America’s Next Top Model documentary, alleging they manipulated footage and editing to falsely portray her as indifferent to a contestant’s alleged sexual assault.
The lawsuit, filed Saturday in California federal court, names Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, Netflix Music, EverWonder Studio, and documentary directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan as defendants.
Banks alleges the documentary Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model used deceptive editing techniques that damaged her reputation and misrepresented both her interview and her role on the long-running reality series.
According to the complaint, Banks participated in the documentary because she believed viewers deserved “a candid conversation about the show’s legacy—its successes and its shortcomings.”
The lawsuit states she sat for a three-and-a-half-hour interview in April 2025 but that only about 16 minutes of footage ultimately appeared in the final series.
“The accountability Ms. Banks took ended up on the cutting room floor,” the complaint alleges. “It was there, but viewers were never given the opportunity to see it.”
At the center of the lawsuit is the documentary’s treatment of former contestant Shandi Sullivan and a controversial incident during Cycle 2 of America’s Next Top Model in Milan more than two decades ago.
Dispute centers on Shandi Sullivan storyline
Sullivan, who appeared on the show in 2004, has more recently described a sexual encounter filmed during production as an assault, according to the lawsuit. Banks alleges she was never informed of Sullivan’s present-day perspective before being interviewed for the documentary.
The complaint claims producers asked Banks whether she remembered Sullivan’s story, then edited her response to imply she either did not remember or was avoiding the topic.
According to the lawsuit, the full interview footage allegedly shows Banks nodding and saying, “I do remember her story,” but those moments were removed from the final edit.
“The implication is devastating and deliberate: that Tyra Banks cannot even remember the story of the woman who was assaulted on her show,” the complaint states.
Banks further alleges producers rearranged footage from the original series to make it appear she initiated a conversation about infidelity with Sullivan when, according to the complaint, Sullivan raised the subject first. The lawsuit points to footage in which Sullivan asks Banks, “Have you ever cheated on anyone? Or had anyone cheat on you?” before Banks responds.
The lawsuit states Banks replied, “Everybody’s messed up, Shandi. I’m not judging you.”
Banks alleges the documentary falsely implied she had prior knowledge of a sexual assault and failed to act, an accusation she calls “a complete fabrication.”
Documentary revisited controversial reality show
Released on Netflix in February 2026, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model examines the cultural legacy of the hit reality competition series, which aired 24 cycles between 2003 and 2018 and spawned dozens of international adaptations.
The documentary explored both the show’s influence on fashion and representation as well as longstanding criticism of certain challenges, portrayals, and production decisions.
The lawsuit notes that Banks has publicly acknowledged past mistakes associated with the show.
It cites a 2020 social media post in which she wrote: “Been seeing the posts about the insensitivity of some past ANTM moments and I agree with you. Looking back, those were some really off choices.”
According to the complaint, producers pitched the documentary as “not as a takedown, but as a thoughtful, in-depth reflection” and described it as “equal parts authoritative and celebratory.”
The lawsuit alleges Banks relied on those representations when agreeing to participate.
Banks claims she sought access to her full interview footage before filing suit but was denied.
“Had they agreed, Ms. Banks could have made the truth public and this litigation would likely have been unnecessary,” the complaint states.
The lawsuit also alleges Netflix Music used Banks’ image on an album cover tied to the documentary without authorization, creating the false impression that she endorsed the soundtrack.
Banks is seeking damages and, according to the complaint, wants the public to have access to the complete unedited footage of her interview so viewers can “form their own opinions based on the truth.”
“As of now, Ms. Banks does not have that footage or the ability to make it public,” the complaint states. “Only Netflix and the producers do.”
Banks, 52, is one of the most recognizable figures in fashion and television. She became the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and the first Black model to secure a Victoria’s Secret contract.
She later created and hosted America’s Next Top Model, which aired in approximately 180 countries and became a global reality television phenomenon.
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