The ongoing legal saga surrounding the Emmy-winning Netflix miniseries Baby Reindeer continues...
Now, a new verdict can lead accuser Fiona Harvey to pursue her defamation lawsuit against Netflix. A US judge has ruled that the Netflix show has misled viewers by billing itself as a “true story”, allowing the real-life “Martha” to pursue her defamation lawsuit against the streamer. Baby Reindeer, named Netflix’s 10th most-watched series of all time, was inspired by series creator and comedian Richard Gadd’s real experiences of being stalked, with each episode beginning with a message that reads: “This is a true story”.
Fiona Harvey, the inspiration for the stalker character of Martha in the show, alleged that the series falsely implied that she sexually assaulted Gadd and had been sent to prison for stalking him. Earlier this year, she took , accusing the platform of “defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence” and “violations of [her] right to privacy”, requesting $170 million (approx. €152m) in damages.
Netflix filed a motion to throw out the suit earlier this year, and Gadd revealed that Harvey had stalked him for years when he worked at a London pub. He reported her to the police and she got a “harassment warning.” Harvey was not criminally prosecuted or sent to jail.
Gadd has said the Netflix series is based on his experience, but has also stated that show, and the stage play on which it was based, w.
