Netflix is asking a judge to throw out Tyra Banks’ defamation lawsuit over its America’s Next Top Model docuseries, arguing that her complaints amount to disagreements over editing choices.
Banks, 52, sued the streamer in June over Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model, claiming producers used selective editing and omissions to create a false portrayal of her.
In an August 14 motion to dismiss, Netflix clapped back, saying Banks had signed an agreement allowing filmmakers to edit her interview and acknowledging she had “no right to review or approve” the finished project.
“She now alleges the documentary…defames her,” the filing states, arguing that her objections center on how much of her interview was used and how her perspective was presented.
Netflix and EverWonder Studio also filed an anti-SLAPP motion seeking to end the case.
“We stand behind Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model and will continue to vigorously defend it,” a Netflix spokesperson said in a statement.
Banks’ lawsuit claims only about 16 minutes of her lengthy interview appeared in the three-part series and alleges clips were “stripped of context.”
Her attorneys also accused the documentary of creating a damaging narrative surrounding former contestant Shandi Sullivan’s experience during cycle 2.
Netflix denies that interpretation, arguing the documentary never suggests Banks covered up the incident or forgot about it.
Banks is seeking a jury trial and damages.
