America’s Next Top Model winner DEFENDS Tyra Banks amid lawsuit

America’s Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille defended her mentor and former manager, Tyra Banks, amid her defamation lawsuit against Netflix for its scathing docuseries Reality Check.

The 41-year-old actress was challenged to say three nice things about the 52-year-old model-turned-presenter during a ‘shady’ segment on Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live on Sunday.

‘Tyra is always fierce. She was always right and she’s always on top,’ Marcille (born Pigford) declared.

When host Andy Cohen asked the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum what she thought of the docuseries, she scoffed: ‘We don’t have enough time, Andy.’

‘I am pro Tyra,’ Marcille doubled down.

‘[Reality Check] was just shady boots. It was not balanced. It was very biased. They never asked me [to participate] because it would go contradictory to the entire [narrative].’

America’s Next Top Model winner Eva Marcille (L, pictured in 2004) defended her mentor and former manager, Tyra Banks (R), amid her defamation lawsuit against Netflix for its scathing docuseries Reality Check

However, the Sunflower Cannabis CEO previously called Reality Check ‘amazingly horrifying’ as she was unaware of ‘the young girls who were Sєxually ᴀssaulted’ and suffering from ‘eating disorders’ on the reality compeтιтion.

‘I saw the show. [Banks] apologized a million times. But an apology to the person that you wronged is only as good as they could appreciate it,’ Marcille told CBS Mornings in February.

‘There is no sorry, I think, that’s big enough to truly feel and heal that kind of hurt.’

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The 5ft 7in stunner stressed that she ‘will never fail to thank Tyra’ for launching her career since she was the shortest contestant on her season: ‘It’s unheard of!’

Marcille was 19 years old when she beat 13 other contestants to win Cycle 3 of the UPN modeling compeтιтion in 2004 and received a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, a Ford Models contract and an Elle Magazine cover shoot.

The Pushed off a Plane and Survived actress returned for appearances in the Cycle 5 finale, one episode of Cycle 12 as well as The CW documentary America’s Next Top Model: Exposed.

Banks is requesting hefty damages in the suit she filed on June 13 against the streaming giant, EverWonder Studio as well as directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy.

The Project Runway judge claimed she took accountability and apologized profusely in Reality Check, but it ‘ended up on the cutting room floor.’

Banks’ legal team alleged Netflix engaged in ‘selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage’ to present a misleading narrative.

The 41-year-old actress was challenged to say three nice things about the 52-year-old model-turned-presenter during a ‘shady’ segment on Bravo talk show Watch What Happens Live on Sunday

‘Tyra is always fierce. She was always right and she’s always on top,’ Marcille (born Pigford) declared

When host Andy Cohen asked the Real Housewives of Atlanta alum what she thought of the docuseries, she scoffed: ‘We don’t have enough time, Andy’

‘I am pro Tyra,’ Marcille doubled down. ‘[Reality Check] was just shady boots. It was not balanced. It was very biased. They never asked me [to participate] because it would go contradictory to the entire [narrative]’

However, the Sunflower Cannabis CEO previously called Reality Check ‘amazingly horrifying’ as she was unaware of ‘the young girls who were Sєxually ᴀssaulted’ and suffering from ‘eating disorders’ on the reality compeтιтion

‘I saw the show. [Banks] apologized a million times. But an apology to the person that you wronged is only as good as they could appreciate it,’ Marcille told CBS Mornings in February. ‘There is no sorry, I think, that’s big enough to truly feel and heal that kind of hurt’

The 5ft 7in stunner stressed that she ‘will never fail to thank Tyra’ for launching her career since she was the shortest contestant on her season: ‘It’s unheard of!’

Marcille was 19 years old when she beat 13 other contestants to win Cycle 3 of the UPN modeling compeтιтion in 2004 and received a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics, a Ford Models contract and an Elle Magazine cover shoot

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner didn’t get to ask follow-up questions, she didn’t get to address critics, she wasn’t made aware of everyone participating and she wasn’t shown the special until the day before it aired.

Banks’ lawyers said that in the aftermath, she ‘has suffered significant harm and damage to the personal brand she has worked for decades to build and maintain throughout the world.’

‘I haven’t really said much, but now it’s time,’ the SMiZE & DREAM founder said in Reality Check.

‘I knew I went too far.’

Banks continued: ‘It was very, very intense. But you guys were demanding it, so we kept pushing more and more and more.’

The Australian-based Inglewood native did not appear sympathetic to former judge and runway coach, Miss J. Alexander, who claimed she never visited him after a 2022 stroke put him in a coma for five weeks and left him paralyzed.

Banks is requesting hefty damages in the suit she filed on June 13 against the streaming giant, EverWonder Studio as well as directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy 

The Project Runway judge claimed she took accountability and apologized profusely in Reality Check, but it ‘ended up on the cutting room floor’ 

Banks’ legal team alleged Netflix engaged in ‘selective editing, deliberate omission, and surgical manipulation of continuous footage’ to present a misleading narrative 

The two-time Daytime Emmy winner didn’t get to ask follow-up questions, she didn’t get to address critics, she wasn’t made aware of everyone participating and she wasn’t shown the special until the day before it aired 

Banks did not appear sympathetic to former judge and runway coach, Miss J. Alexander, who claimed she never visited him after a 2022 stroke put him in a coma for five weeks and left him paralyzed 

America’s Next Top Model – which aired for 24 seasons spanning 2003-2018 on UPN, The CW and VH1 – was notorious for dangerous runway challenges, problematic pH๏τo challenges and disastrous makeovers 

America’s Next Top Model – which aired for 24 seasons spanning 2003-2018 on UPN, The CW and VH1 – was notorious for dangerous runway challenges, problematic pH๏τo challenges and disastrous makeovers.

Marcille concludes her role as male exotic nightclub mogul Marilyn ‘Madam’ DeVille in the fifth (and final) season of Tyler Perry’s drama All the Queen’s Men, which airs Wednesdays on BET+.

The SoCal native welcomed three children – daughter Marley, 12, son Michael, eight, and son Maverick, six – during her brief relationship with singer Kevin McCall and on/off seven-year marriage to attorney Michael Sterling.