2 days ago
Erstwhile America’s Next Top Model big Tyra Banks has revenge a defamation suit against Netflix, alleging that footage of her appearing connected nan streamer’s exposé docuseries astir nan cutthroat and arguable precocious aughts reality title bid was edited to conception a “false narrative” astir her.
In a suit revenge successful national tribunal successful California today, nan supermodel is suing Netflix, 89 Blocks Holdings, EverWonder Studio, Netflix Music and co-directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan for mendacious light, defamation by implication, breach of statement and mendacious endorsement.
In nan tribunal documents, Banks claims she gave nan three-part Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model an question and reply totaling three-and-a-half hours, only to person it whittled down to 16 minutes and “stripped of discourse and reassembled to support a mendacious and defamatory communicative unrelated to what she actually expressed.” The suit states Banks took “accountability” for nan show’s toxic on-set situation but those moments “ended up connected nan cutting room floor.”
“Worse, nan mendacious communicative nan producers constructed—through selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage—included that Ms. Banks knowingly allowed a contestant to beryllium sexually assaulted connected her show, exploited that contestant’s trauma for ratings, and past could not moreover retrieve it erstwhile asked,” nan suit reads. “That communicative astir Ms. Banks is simply a complete fabrication—one that Netflix streamed to a world assemblage of millions.”
Netflix declined to remark connected Banks’ suit erstwhile contacted by Deadline.
The documentary series, which premiered Feb. 16, besides featured sit-down interviews pinch shaper Ken Mok and starring judges Jay Manuel, J. Alexander (aka Miss J) and Nigel Barker, arsenic good arsenic erstwhile contestants and winners — for illustration Whitney Thompson, Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Dani Evans, and Keenyah Hill. It debuted to No. 1 connected nan streamer’s Top 10 English TV List pinch 14.2M views successful its first week, becoming a run(a)way occurrence and generating headlines and online discourse.
In particular, nan suit highlights 1 “egregious example” of manipulated footage, regarding Sullivan’s acquisition of intersexual battle arsenic a contestant connected ANTM‘s 2nd cycle.
“One of nan areas of liking astir ANTM complete nan past 20 years has been astir an evening during which Ms. Sullivan was intoxicated, had intercourse pinch a man successful Milan, and quickly confessed her infidelity to her longtime boyfriend,” nan suit explains. “On nan Netflix Series, Ms. Sullivan is shown describing nan arena arsenic an assault—something Ms. Banks had ne'er heard earlier and was not told during her interview [emphasis successful document]. Having withheld that information, Ms. Loushy asks Ms. Banks: ‘You retrieve nan communicative pinch Shandi?’ The section shows Ms. Banks glimpse upward, opportunity ‘um,’ and past nan surface cuts to black. The accusation is devastating and deliberate: that Tyra Banks cannot moreover retrieve nan communicative of nan female who was assaulted connected her show.”
“But that was false,” nan suit continues. “The afloat footage of Ms. Banks’ question and reply reveals 2 things that nan producers trim retired and did not show viewers successful Episode 1: earlier nan upward glance, Ms. Banks nods—affirmatively, unmistakably—and instantly says, ‘I do retrieve her story.’ By carving nan motion retired of nan mediate of nan series and cutting disconnected Ms. Banks’ remark astatine nan end, nan producers ensured that viewers would spot only nan dishonesty and not nan truth.”
As a consequence of alleged “loss of early business opportunities, nonaccomplishment of business income, different compounding losses,” “severe reputational harm” and “significant intelligence anguish,” Banks is requesting a assemblage proceedings to determine “appropriate” compensation for wide and typical damages.
At its height, ANTM — which first premiered connected nan now-defunct UPN, earlier shifting to its successor The CW and moreover later VH1 — would tie 100 cardinal world viewers astatine its peak. It spanned 24 seasons, aliases cycles, totaling complete 300 episodes from 2003 done 2016 (including 1 revival installment successful 2018).
Banks has antecedently reflected connected nan show’s shortcomings and its legacy, saying past year at Essence‘s 18th annual Black Women successful Hollywood Awards: “Did we get it right? Hell no. I said immoderate dumb shit. But I garbage to person my bequest beryllium astir immoderate worldly linked together connected nan net erstwhile location were 24 cycles of changing nan world. And I americium truthful excited that I, and truthful galore of us, person opened that doorway for others to follow.”
Following a caller activity of backlash upon nan docuseries’ premiere exploring ANTM‘s issues — nan assemblage shaming, problematic beauty standards and racially insensitive shoots, among different occurrences — Banks has besides seen a rally of support from erstwhile contestants for illustration Adrianne Curry, Isis King and Jaslene Gonzalez.
Dominic Patten contributed to this report.
