Tyra Banks is pushing for more raw footage as her legal battle with Netflix over America’s Next Top Model intensifies. The model wants access to unedited interviews from several former colleagues featured in the documentary. Her request now goes beyond her own lengthy interview. Banks argues that the additional footage could help show how producers shaped the final ANTM documentary.
Tyra Banks is seeking full interview footage as she challenges the Netflix documentary’s portrayal of her
According to TMZ, Banks wants the complete interviews of Jay Manuel, J. Alexander, also known as Miss J, and Nigel Barker. All three worked closely with her on America’s Next Top Model.
The request appears in a new filing tied to Banks’ defamation lawsuit over Netflix’s Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model. She challenges the producers’ claim that the finished documentary reflected ordinary editorial decisions.
Banks previously said filmmakers interviewed her for about three and a half hours. However, only around 16 minutes appeared in the final series.
Her lawsuit claims editors removed important context and created a misleading portrayal of her comments. Banks has also argued that footage showing her accepting responsibility for past ANTM controversies did not make the final cut.
The dispute centers on former contestant Shandi Sullivan. Banks says she did not know Sullivan viewed a past on-set sexual encounter as an assault before the documentary.
Now, Banks wants to see what Manuel, Miss J and Barker said before producers selected their final clips. TMZ reports that her request covers material viewers never saw.
Miss J’s footage may carry particular interest. In the documentary, he discussed experiencing health problems and claimed Banks did not contact or visit him during that period.
Netflix and the filmmakers have denied wrongdoing. The company has defended the series and challenged Banks’ claims in court.
The court fight has already focused heavily on editing. Banks previously challenged Netflix to release her full interview so viewers could compare it with the finished documentary.
Now, the fight over interview footage has widened. Whether Banks gains access to those recordings could become another important issue as the lawsuit moves forward.
