Did 'Baby Reindeer' destroy an innocent woman's life? Inside Fiona Harvey's battle with Netflix
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Baby Reindeer' might have soared at the 2024 Emmys, but it’s now facing a major setback due to a lawsuit from Fiona Harvey. The British dark-comedy thriller garnered strong viewership and critical acclaim when it premiered in April 2024. However, it soon sparked a legal battle and online debate when Harvey sued Netflix for a whopping $170 million.
'Baby Reindeer' is created and starred by Richard Gadd. The series claims to be based on a "true story" and the character of Martha, played by Jessica Gunning is allegedly based on Scottish lawyer, Fiona Harvey. The series revolves around aspiring comedian Donny Dunn (a character based on Gadd) and his encounter with his stalker, Martha.
Why did Fiona Harvey sue Netflix?
After the premiere of the series, Harvey came forward claiming that the character of Martha is clearly based on her and the series has wrongly portrayed her as a convicted stalker who went to jail for stalking Gadd. In June, she sued Netflix for $170 million for “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of business,” as per the complaint filed in the District Court for the Central District of California. She asserted that the Gadd and Netflix told the “biggest lie in television history” by claiming the story is true, as reported by CNN.
A part of her complaint says, “The lies that Defendants told about Harvey to over 50 million people worldwide include that Harvey is a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison and that Harvey sexually assaulted Gadd. Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money," quoted Variety.
Her complaint further highlighted how her life and reputation have been ruined after the release of the series that tells “brutal lies” about her. She also mentioned that shortly after the show was aired, she began to receive death threats as people identified her as Gadd's stalker.
How did Netflix react to Fiona Harvey's lawsuit?
As 'Baby Reindeer' topped most-watched lists worldwide since its debut, Netflix decided to fight the lawsuit. “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story," said a Netflix spokesperson to CNN in June.
Gadd, who isn't named as a defendant in Harvey’s lawsuit, has said he had changed identifying details about the real-life Martha. However, people on social media platforms such as TikTok, Reddit, and X, dug up Harvey’s social-media interactions with Gadd during the period the show is set and even shared the resemblance between the phrases she used which are also a part of the show.
On top of it, fans couldn't stop but notice the striking similarities between Harvey and the character of Martha. Both are Scottish lawyers, brunette, plus-size, and same age.
Judge rules 'Baby Reindeer' is not a ‘true story’
In the latest update, Harvey has been allowed to go ahead with the lawsuit as a judge ruled that the series isn't a "true story" as it claims to be.
In the series, Martha pleaded guilty to stalking and harassment and was sent to jail for five years. However, in real life, when Gadd reported Harvey to the police, she was let go after a warning.
Judge Gary Klausner, in his ruling, wrote, “There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law. Likewise, there are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging another’s eyes. While the plaintiff’s purported actions are reprehensible, the defendant’s statements are of a worse degree and could produce a different effect in the mind of a viewer," a report by Independent said.
The court also dismissed Netflix's argument that the similarities between Harvey and Martha are “so broad that a reasonable person would not have been able to identify her”. Judge Klausner said, “Rather, Martha and Plaintiff have specific similarities that few others could claim to share. Specifically, Martha and Plaintiff are both Scottish lawyers living in London, twenty years older than Donny/Gadd, accused of stalking a lawyer in a newspaper article, who communicated with Donny/Gadd on social media.”
Fiona Harvey’s defamation case to go into trial
Harvey's lawsuit against Netflix has been given a trial date of 2025. A Deadline report mentions that a federal judge set May 6, 2025, as the start date of the trial which is expected to last two weeks.
Meanwhile, Netflix has yet to comment on it. The series recently celebrated its big win at Emmys 2024 in the categories of Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Writing for Gadd, Outstanding Lead Actor for Gadd, and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Gunning.
'Baby Reindeer' is available to stream on Netflix.
