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The 52-year-old supermodel filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix on Saturday over her appearance in Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model, alleging the streaming giant edited her interview footage to construct a "false and defamatory" portrayal of her role as host, judge and executive producer across the show's 24-cycle run.
According to the lawsuit, Banks sat for a three-and-a-half-hour interview, yet only 16 minutes made it into the finished docuseries, footage she claims was "stripped of context and reassembled to support a false and defamatory narrative unrelated to what she actually expressed."
At the center of the dispute is the series' handling of allegations from cycle 2 contestant Shandi Sullivan, who said she was sexually assaulted on camera while filming in Italy in 2003. Banks claims the final edit implied she "knowingly allowed a contestant to be sexually assaulted on her show, exploited that contestant's trauma for ratings, and then could not even remember it when asked."
"That narrative about Ms. Banks is a complete fabrication, one that Netflix streamed to a global audience of millions," the filing states.
Banks maintains she agreed to participate because she wanted to address the show's legacy honestly, including the parts of it she's previously acknowledged getting wrong. "There are aspects of the show for which Ms. Banks takes accountability and she wanted ANTM viewers to hear that from her directly," the lawsuit reads.
The filing also claims the fallout has hit Banks financially, alleging that online ratings for her Australian ice cream brand, SMiZE & DREAM, have "plummeted" since the docuseries premiered in February. Banks is seeking a jury trial to determine damages for lost business income and future opportunities, though no specific dollar figure was listed.
"Every other conversation about ANTM's legacy, including the candid reflection Ms. Banks came prepared to have, is now drowned out by an accusation she was never given the chance to answer," the lawsuit said.
