Tyra Banks has launched legal action against Netflix, accusing the streaming giant and the makers of its America's Next Top Model documentary of defamation through manipulative editing and omission of key material.

The lawsuit, filed Saturday in Los Angeles federal court, targets Netflix, directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy, and production company EverWonder Studio. According to Banks' legal team, producers employed "selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage" to construct a narrative suggesting Banks allowed a contestant to experience sexual assault on set, exploited the trauma for ratings, and then feigned ignorance when confronted during interviews. Banks seeks monetary damages and an injunction preventing use of her likeness in connection with the docuseries' accompanying album.

Banks contends she was not informed beforehand about questions regarding sexual assault during her interview sessions. The lawsuit reveals she received only a day's notice before the documentary's February 16 release and was denied the opportunity to review the production in advance. Despite requesting access to uncut interview footage in March, Netflix and EverWonder rejected the request. Her legal representatives argue that had Banks been aware other former judges—including someone believed to harbour resentment toward her—were shaping the editorial direction as consultants, she would not have participated.

America's Next Top Model, which debuted in 2003 and ran for 24 seasons, has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years over body-shaming allegations, contestant manipulation, and controversial photo assignments. Banks previously acknowledged "the insensitivity of past ANTM moments" and acknowledged making "some really off choices." However, her lawyers maintain the Netflix series distorted her position by depicting her responses as evasive when she was never actually asked about the assault claim.

The fallout has been severe for Banks personally and professionally. Public backlash has been "swift, harsh, and directed squarely at Ms. Banks," the lawsuit states, with her SMiZE & DREAM ice cream shop in Sydney, Australia, becoming a target for review bombing on Google. Banks' team claims their attempts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and producers were rebuffed, prompting the legal action.