Netflix has denied Fiona Harvey’s lawsuit accusations about Baby Reindeer.
“We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd‘s right to tell his story,” the streaming platform said in a statement to the U.K.’s Sky News on Friday, June 7.
Baby Reindeer, which was inspired by comedian Gadd’s one-man stage show of the same name, premiered on Netflix in April. The series follows struggling comedian Donny Dunn (Gadd) as he interacts with Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), a former attorney who starts stalking Donny over the course of several years. Baby Reindeer was inspired by Gadd’s alleged experiences as a stalking and sexual assault victim.
Harvey, 58, identified herself as the inspiration for Martha during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored last month, denying the accusations that she stalked Gadd.
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“He’s crazy and wants to make this up,” Harvey said. “I mean, I’ve not phoned the guy. I don’t have his number. The only explanation for having a voicemail from me would be [from] taping me in the Hawley Arms. That’s the only place we’ve ever met.”
According to Harvey, she only exchanged a “couple of emails” with Gadd, 35. “[They were] just jokey banter emails,” she stressed.
News broke on Thursday, June 6, that Harvey filed a lawsuit against Netflix, seeking $170 million in damages.
“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,” the court documents read. “Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money.”
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Her complaint continued, “As a result of Defendants’ lies, malfeasance and utterly reckless misconduct, Harvey’s life had been ruined. Simply, Netflix and Gadd destroyed her reputation, her character and her life.”
Gadd has not publicly addressed Harvey’s counterclaims or legal motion, much like most of the Baby Reindeer cast.
“We decided not to watch [the Piers Morgan interview], so we didn’t,” Nava Mau, who portrays Teri in the show, told Entertainment Tonight earlier this month. “I kept saying to Richard, whoever is meant to see the show is going to see the show and so I think it seems like a lot of people were meant to see the show. I am so grateful for the conversations that it has started. People are engaging in the topics that are … you know, they’re kind of difficult topics.”
