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Tyra Banks Sues Netflix Over Defamatory Assault Claim

6/14/2026

Summary

Tyra Banks Sues

Tyra Banks filed a defamation suit against Netflix on June 13, 2026, in a California federal court.
She alleges Netflix used only 16 minutes of her 3½-hour interview and edited it to suggest she allowed a contestant’s sexual assault for ratings.
The complaint, which centers on Shandi Sullivan’s alleged Cycle 2 assault, seeks a jury trial and damages for lost business and brand harm.
Netflix has not commented on the filing.

Summary

Tyra Banks Lawsuit

The three-part docuseries debuted at No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 TV list with 14.2 million views in its first week.
Banks did not see the series until February 15, 2026, one day before its February 16 premiere, after promotional trailers were circulating.
The lawsuit alleges the series’ soundtrack cover art used Banks’ image without permission and falsely implied her endorsement.
Former contestants Adrianne Curry, Isis King and Jaslene Gonzalez supported Banks after the docuseries’ release.

History

Historical Context

The 1964 Supreme Court ruling in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, authored by Justice William J. Brennan, imposed a nine-justice, unanimous “actual-malice” standard after a $500,000 verdict against the Times for a civil-rights ad error. That precedent now guides Tyra Banks’ 2026 defamation suit against Netflix, requiring her to prove intentional falsehood to recover damages.

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Tyra Banks Sues

Tyra Banks filed a defamation suit against Netflix on June 13, 2026, in a California federal court.
She alleges Netflix used only 16 minutes of her 3½-hour interview and edited it to suggest she allowed a contestant’s sexual assault for ratings.
The complaint, which centers on Shandi Sullivan’s alleged Cycle 2 assault, seeks a jury trial and damages for lost business and brand harm.
Netflix has not commented on the filing.

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