The Scottish woman who claims to be the inspiration for the hit Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” has sued the platform, seeking compensation of at least $170 million. Fiona Harvey claims that the character of Martha in “Baby Reindeer,” played by Jessica Gunning, is based on her and accuses Netflix of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and violation of her right of publicity.
Harvey’s lawsuit, filed June 6 in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that Netflix spread “brutal lies” about her in the series created by Richard Gadd, who also stars in it. “The lies that the defendants told about Harvey to more than 50 million people around the world include that Harvey is a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison and that she sexually assaulted (Richard) Gadd,” the statement says. complaint. “The Defendants told these lies, and they never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and the best stories make money.”
According to the lawsuit, “As a result of the defendants’ lies, misconduct, and reckless conduct, Harvey’s life has been ruined. Simply put, Netflix and Gadd destroyed her reputation, her character, and her life.” It’s worth mentioning that Gadd is not named as a defendant in Harvey’s lawsuit.
The first episode of “Baby Reindeer” begins with the statement, “This is a true story.” Harvey’s lawsuit claims that “it is the biggest lie in the history of television. It’s a lie told by Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and desire for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, gain more attention, make more money and vilely destroy the life of the plaintiff, Fiona Harvey, an innocent woman defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd on an unprecedented magnitude and scale.”
“Baby Reindeer,” based on Gadd’s one-man play at the Edinburgh Festival, was released on Netflix on April 11 and quickly became a global hit. In the series, Gadd plays a fictional version of himself named Donny Dunn. The seven-episode limited series follows Dunn as she attempts to transition from bartender to comedian, along the way attracting a stalker named Martha who sends her thousands of emails and harasses her family and girlfriend.
Although Gadd stated in interviews that he had changed identifying details about the real Martha, online sleuths quickly located Harvey’s social media accounts, which had frequently interacted with Gadd during the period in which the show is set and shared specific phrases used in the Serie. Like the fictional Martha, Harvey is plus-sized and Scottish, with a legal background and a history of harassment.
“Popular Internet forums such as Reddit and TikTok had thousands of users identifying and discussing Harvey as the real ‘Martha,’” according to Harvey’s lawsuit. “The identification of Harvey as ‘Martha’ was easy and took a few days as Harvey’s identity was not disguised.”
Shortly after the show premiered, Harvey appeared on Piers Morgan’s YouTube show, where he said he was considering legal action against Gadd and Netflix. He denied sending 41,000 emails to Gadd and claimed the series is “a work of hyperbole.”
Harvey’s lawsuit claims that “Netflix, a multi-billion-dollar multinational entertainment company, did literally nothing to confirm the ‘true story’ Gadd told.” Through the lawsuit, Harvey is seeking more than $170 million from Netflixincluding at least USD 50 million dollars for actual damages; at least USD 50 million in compensatory damages for “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of business; at least USD 50 million “for all profits from ‘Baby Reindeer’”; and at least USD 20 million in punitive damages. These amounts do not include legal fees or costs, according to the complaint.
According to the lawsuit, Harvey obtained a bachelor of law degree from the University of Aberdeen in 1990, a diploma in legal practice from the University of Strathclyde in 1993 and a certificate of entry into the Law Society of Scotland in 1997. In 2005, he obtained his postgraduate diploma in law from the University of Westminster.
