Tyra Banks' legal battle over hours of unaired footage shot for the "America's Next Top Model" documentary has intensified, with Netflix and the documentary's producers opposing her request for the raw material, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
The supermodel is seeking unedited interview footage of Miss J and Jay Manuel — described in the filing as her former friends — that was not included in the finished documentary. Banks contends the material could support her claim that she was defamed because producers selectively edited the interviews.
The producers dispute that Banks is entitled to the raw interview footage. They also object to her requests for internal communications concerning her, draft scripts, story notes, and deposition testimony from filmmakers, editors, and others who worked on or reviewed the documentary, according to the documents obtained by TMZ. Netflix separately raised concerns about Banks' demand for its internal viewership data.
In opposing the requests, the producers argue that none of the sought items fall within the type of targeted discovery permitted to prove her claims, characterizing the demands as overly expansive — especially given how early the litigation remains. The filing was reported on September 15, 2026, at 5:00 PM PDT.