America’s Next Top Model star Jeana Turner is slamming Tyra Banks’ defamation lawsuit against Netflix following backlash from the streaming service’s recent Reality Check docuseries.
“I feel like it’s a selfish, money-hungry thing,” Turner, 32, exclusively told Us Weekly in a Monday, June 15, statement. “It’s also extremely ironic of her to be suing them for defamation when that is what all of the girls who have been speaking out about America’s Next Top Model have been trying to point out is that we have been defamed, our lives were affected, our careers were affected — ultimately, it was defamation.”
Turner also called out Banks, 52, for being hypocritical considering how contestants on the reality series were allegedly treated at the start of their careers.
“It’s just ironic to me that she can complain about being edited falsely,” she continued. “It just seems like a slap in the face. Like, ‘You guys can’t do it, but watch me.’ It’s very grimy to me.”
Turner, who appeared on season 24, added that her experience with the reality series has inspired her passion for helping others facing similar issues that she did. The model hinted to Us that she will be teaming up with other reality stars in the future to assist newcomers in navigating the business.
“Our main focus is to really just put legal protections in place for future reality stars, because there aren’t many. A lot of us sign away a lot of things without legal counsel,” she explained. “A lot of these girls, these people are signing away their lives and their image at 18 years old, and that’s our major concern because we’re more experienced. We’ve got kids now, we’re grown, we’re out of that light. But at one point, we were those young kids who were just desperate for an opportunity. So that’s kind of where our heart is lying right now.”
Turner also touched on Banks’ alleged “lack of accountability,” telling Us, “For years, former contestants have shared their experiences and concerns, and many of them felt dismissed. So, seeing Tyra now claim that she was misrepresented by editing feels really ironic, giving how long others have been saying similar things about their own experiences with her or her production. I think people are capable of being both influential and harmed by a system, but accountability shouldn’t disappear when the spotlight turns on the person who was previously in charge.”
Turner continued, “What I find troubling is the apparent double standard. Contestants and participants associated with the fair ties were often bound by contacts and legal restrictions that made it difficult or impossible to pursue claims of misrepresentation, or challenge how they were portrayed. So now, seeing one of the most powerful figures associated with that same machine seek legal recourse for alleged misrepresentation raises legitimate concerns and questions about fairness and accountability. And if editing and production manipulation are serious enough concerns to warrant a lawsuit when directed at Tyra, then they were serious concerns when contestants raised them, as well. That’s why many people view this situation as an example of unequal power structure, rather than simply a dispute over a documentary. And the reporting about the comments regarding Miss J’s hospitalization stood out to me because the discussion seems to be centered on whether certain remarks were fair or accurate. More broadly, I think the public conversation is focused on accountability and the experiences many people associate with the franchise and have shared for years”
News broke on Saturday, June 13, that Banks filed a lawsuit against Netflix following her participation in the Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model docuseries. According to court documents obtained by People at the time, Banks accused the streamer of defamation and editing her interviews to support a false narrative.
“Tyra Banks participated in the Netflix documentary series America’s Next Top Model (‘ANTM’) because she believed viewers deserved a candid conversation about the show’s legacy—its successes and its shortcomings,” the filing reportedly read. “There are aspects of the show for which Ms. Banks takes accountability and she wanted ANTM viewers to hear that from her directly. Going into her interview, Ms. Banks did not limit the ANTM topics the interviewer could ask,” the lawsuit continues. During a three-and-a-half-hour interview, Ms. Banks answered questions about the show’s groundbreaking history, including criticism of decisions she would approach differently today.”
Netflix has not publicly addressed Banks’ lawsuit. Us previously reached out to a spokesperson for the company for comment.
The America’s Next Top Model docuseries premiered in February and featured rare interviews with the show’s executive producers, former judges and past contestants. Banks, Ken Mok, Jay Manuel, Miss J. Alexander and Nigel Barker recalled the competition’s best — and worst — moments. Former competitors including Whitney Thompson, Giselle Samson, Shannon Stewart, Shandi Sullivan, Danielle Evans and Keenyah Hill spoke about their experience with some claiming they faced discrimination, sexual assault and more.
Shortly after Banks’ lawsuit made headlines earlier this week, ANTM’s first-ever winner, Adrianne Curry, shared her own candid thoughts, echoing Turner’s belief the host is being hypocritical.
“I read that Tyra Banks is suing Netflix because she didn’t like being edited,” Curry, 43, said in a video shared via Instagram on Sunday, June 14. “Biiiiiiiiiiiitch, for real girl? Like?”
Curry ended the clip with a laugh, adding in the caption, “Trya doesn’t like being ‘edited.’ Lol. Welcome to the party, pal.”
