Tyra Banks huge Netflix lawsuit and drama explained, as she’s now on Project Runway
It's super messy
Tyra Banks is back on our TV screens in the new season of Project Runway, so here’s a breakdown of her drama after an explosive Netflix documentary and a response lawsuit.
There’s a new season of the legendary fashion series Project Runway airing, and model Tyra Banks is a judge. She was a guest judge last season, but now has a permanent spot on the panel, ready to judge 22 new designers.
This comes hot on the heels of the backlash she received after America’s Next Top Model documentary Reality Check was released on Netflix. In the brutal expose, several ex-models and judges talked about their experiences appearing on the reality show, with many of the negative experiences involving Tyra herself. She was featured in the documentary, but many people criticised her for what they perceived as a lack of accountability and evasiveness in response to many of the toughest allegations.
There were many bombshell allegations against Tyra in Reality Check
In the documentary, ex-contestant Shandi Sullivan talked about her “cheating” scandal, which ultimately ended her relationship. ON reflection, Shandi has described this incident as an alleged sexual assault, which was played for entertainment value. When talking about the incident, Tyra said production was “not her territory”, which got a lot of pushback because she was an executive producer on ANTM.
View this post on Instagram
Other allegations included problematic challenges like the race-swapping, which Tyra admitted was “too far”, and unhealthy pressure to remain thin. Tyra responded by saying she was preparing the models for a harsh industry that would repeat the same message.
Tyra is now suing Netflix for the documentary
After the documentary, Tyra spoke out and sued Netflix for defamation. She claimed that she filmed 3.5 hours of interviews, which were cut down to 16 minutes, removing much-needed context. In the 65-page lawsuit, her lawyers claimed the documentary left in only the parts that made her look bad.
Netflix haven’t officially released a public response, and the amount that Tyra is suing for is undisclosed, but it has been confirmed that she’s suing for compensatory and punitive damages.
For all the latest reality TV cast member news, scandals, gossip and updates – like Reality Shrine on Facebook.