Tyra Banks sues Netflix for defamation, over the 'America's Next Top Model' documentary

Tyra Banks/Netflix/YouTube screenshot

Tyra Banks is reportedly suing Netflix and other associated media entities, including 89 Blocks Holdings, EverWonder Studio, Netflix Music, and co-directors Mor Loushy and Daniel Sivan for defamation over the Netflix documentary, Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, according to Variety.

In her lawsuit, Tyra alleges that the docuseries portrayed her in a "false light," committed defamation by implication, breached contract, and made a false endorsement. Notably, Tyra also participated in the docuseries.

Many contestants, including some winners, claimed that the show hurt their chances at real modeling careers and that Tyra did not provide adequate guidance on succeeding in the industry. Some models reported feeling bullied by the former super model and expressed discomfort regarding how they were depicted on camera. For instance, contestant Shandi Sullivan from Cycle 2 recalled being heavily intoxicated during one episode, where she blacked out and had sex with an Italian model. She indicated that ANTM's cameras filmed the encounter, and no one from the production team intervened, and the footage was aired in an episode. Shandi stated that this experience negatively impacted her life and her relationship with her boyfriend.

Shandi/IMDB

Former judges and contestant mentors, such as Nigel Barker, J. Alexander (Miss J), and Jay Manuel, who also had friendships with Tyra participated in the documentary as well. Despite their popularity on the show, Tyra fired them after Cycle 18.

Jay Manuel shared that ANTM ruined his friendship with Tyra, and Miss J commented that their relationship has since become fractured, noting that Tyra has not visited him since he suffered a stroke in 2022, despite texting him and telling him she wants to come see him.

Miss J/YouTube screenshot

Jay mentioned that he faced resistance and disdain from the ANTM creator after expressing his desire to leave the show. Despite having developed a friendship with her and working as her makeup artist in the industry years prior to ANTM, he said their relationship took a negative shift. Jay explained that after he communicated his desire to leave, Tyra reportedly stopped speaking to him, and only interacted with him while filming and ignored him on set when the cameras were off.

Since 2017, when they reportedly last saw each other at an industry event, Jay and Tyra have not spoken. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jay stated, "I think she has a hard time really looking at herself," and he believes she needs to take accountability for some of the events that occurred during the show.

Tyra and Jay Manuel/Instagram@mrjaymanuel

Another contestant, Dani Evans, who won Cycle 6, expressed dissatisfaction with her experience on the show. Dani recounted how Tyra later acknowledged that she could have helped her more with her career but chose not to. She stated that years after the show, Tyra told her, "I knew there were certain doors that you couldn't even get into because you did Top Model, and I did nothing about it...I always rode the fence with you." Dani mentioned that she was unable to reach the success she "could have or should have" in the industry.

Dani Evans/YouTube screenshot

Additionally, Dani mentioned that another sore spot for her was when Tyra required her to close the gap in her front teeth on the show. Tyra justified this decision by claiming that model scouts informed her that Dani would not "work" in the industry with a gap. Dani felt that Tyra insisted on altering her appearance for "good TV" rather than acting on genuine advice. In contrast, contestant Chelsey Hersley from Cycle 15 had her gap professionally widened to achieve what Tyra considered a more unique "high-fashion" look.

While some contestants, such as Ya Ya DaCosta and Eva Marcille from Cycle 3, as well as CariDee English, Lio Tipton, and deaf model Nyle DiMarco, who later won a season of Dancing with the Stars, found relative success in the entertainment industry, ANTM has generated more dissatisfied contestants than satisfied ones over its 24 seasons.

A clip from a confrontation between Tyra and contestant Tiffany Richardson during Cycle 4, which has consistently been used as a social media meme, has resurged amidst the release of the documentary. On the docuseries, it was revealed that their exchange allegedly turned heated and disrespectful. Tiffany reportedly involved her lawyers after the encounter.

Tiffany claimed that Tyra bullied her. After the documentary aired, she shared a now-deleted social media post detailing her experience on the show. In her post, she wrote,"Hold up @tyrabanks let's keep it cute.. you are 1 lying a-s tied a-s b-tch.. you know how you treated me the whole time off and on camera, YOU WAS A BULLY!!! You treated me like shit and said the nastiest things about me and my son. That is not how the argument went but YALL EDITED TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE YOU CARED… also F-CK @theshaderoom F-CK YO WERID A-S FANS AND F-CK YOU @tyrabanks I BET YOU WONT SIT DOWN WITH ME FACE TO FACE AND TALK ABOUT IT!!!"

In response to the criticism the former supermodel received regarding the documentary, Tyra said, "Hindsight is 20/20 for all of us. It just so happens that a lot of the things that are 20/20 for me happened in front of the world."

She has yet to provide a public comment regarding the lawsuit.

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