LOS ANGELES — Tyra Banks filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix on Saturday in a federal court in Los Angeles. The lawsuit alleges false portrayal of Banks as complicit in a contestant's sexual assault during the filming of "America's Next Top Model."

The complaint names Netflix, 89 Blocks Holdings, EverWonder Studio, Netflix Music, Mor Loushy, and Daniel Sivan as defendants. According to court filings, "The false narrative the producers constructed — through selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage — included that Ms. Banks 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." The filings state: "That narrative about Ms. Banks is a complete fabrication — one that Netflix streamed to a global audience of millions."

Banks agreed to participate in the three-part documentary series, "Reality Check: Inside America's Next Top Model," to discuss the program's history and reception. She provided a three-and-a-half-hour interview for the production, but the documentary included approximately 16 minutes of this footage. According to court filings, "The accountability Ms. Banks took ended up on the cutting room floor. It was there, but viewers were never given the opportunity to see it."

The documentary features former contestant Shandi Sullivan, who alleged she experienced sexual assault during the second season filming of "America's Next Top Model." The original broadcast of that season framed Sullivan's incident as a cheating scandal rather than an assault. According to court filings, "Ms. Banks respects Ms. Sullivan's perspective and the courage it takes for Ms. Sullivan and others to speak up." The filings add: "Ms. Banks wishes somebody involved with the Netflix Series would have told her what Ms. Sullivan shared with them, but they deliberately chose not to."

Court filings allege that producers edited the Netflix series to make it appear Banks knew she was being asked about a sexual assault and intentionally tried to evade the topic. Banks was not permitted to review the final documentary until one day before its February 16 release. Producers did not contact Banks for fact-checking after her interview, and requests from Banks' representatives in March for access to the full interview recordings were denied by Netflix and EverWonder Studio.

The lawsuit includes claims of false light, defamation by implication, breach of contract, and false endorsement. Court filings allege that public ratings for Banks' Sydney-based ice cream business, SMiZE & DREAM, decreased following the documentary's release. "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." "This lawsuit is that answer, particularly after efforts to resolve the matter directly with Netflix and the producers were refused." Banks is seeking unspecified monetary damages for loss of future business opportunities and business income and has requested a jury trial to determine the appropriate amount for these damages.

No independent assessment of Tyra Banks’s claims was available.