Tyra Banks facing $3 million lawsuit filed by disqualified America’s Next Top Model finalist Angelea Preston for “breach of contract”

Tyra Banks and The CW network have been slapped with a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on December 10 for breach of contract by Angelea Preston, 28, a former contestant in America's Next Top Model who claims she was wrongly disqualified because she worked as an escort prior to participating on the show.

Preston who maintains that she did not violate any of the show's rules because her work as an escort took place before her appearance on hit reality competition series is asking the court for at least $3 million in damages for intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress.

In her lawsuit, Preston claims that she won the reality competition and was named America's Next Top Model during cycle 17 of the show in 2011, and as such is entitled to the grand prize, which includes a $100,000 contract with CoverGirl cosmetics as well as a spread in high-fashion magazine Vogue Italia. She also claims that she and the other contestants in the show were subjected to bad working conditions, including working for 12 hours without any meal break.

Preston previously appeared on cycle 14 of the show in 2010, before returning as a contestant for cycle 17-an "All Star Season" made up of former contestants. She made it to the final round along with Lisa D'Amato and Allison Harvard. The judges were about to begin deliberating on which of the top three contestants will be selected when Tyra Banks, who is also the show's executive producer, made an announcement. She said: "We're back in Los Angeles on the Top Model set and we're here for a special finale that's being conducted under unusual circumstances." To which, as if on cue, fashion photographer and Top Model judge Nigel Barker added: "It turns out, our production team and the network learned information from Angelea that disqualifies her from the competition. It means we're now going to do our final judging with the remaining two girls, and in the interest of fairness, the producers and the network thought it best to evaluate Allison and Lisa on their own." Finally, it was Lisa who was crowned the reigning Top ModelAll Star.

Aside from Tyra Banks and The CW, producers Ken Mok and Laura Fuest Silva were also named in the lawsuit as well as Anisa Productions Inc., Pottle Productions Inc., and Tyra Banks Co. Inc.

The CW in a statement sent to The Wrap said: "As noted during the broadcast of the America's Next Top Model finale in 2011, information about Angelea was learned after production wrapped on that cycle that led to her disqualification from the competition. We are confident that her lawsuit has no merit."