Netflix Contests ‘Baby Reindeer’ Defamation Claim

(Dreamstime)

Netflix announced Friday it will contest a $170 million defamation lawsuit filed by Fiona Harvey, who claims the show “Baby Reindeer” caused her “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of business,” according to a complaint filed in the District Court for the Central District of California.

In the Netflix miniseries, which was released in April, and became a global hit, Richard Gadd shares his experience of being stalked by a woman who sent him over 40,000 emails and countless voice messages. There has since been widespread speculation about the real-life inspirations behind the characters.

Harvey, identified as the “real Martha Scott” by internet sleuths, stated on “Piers Morgan Uncensored” that the series has ruined her life. She is suing Netflix, Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, and Gadd, who plays comedian Donny Dunn, for defamation, according to CNN.

The lawsuit claims Netflix and Gadd fabricated the story for “Baby Reindeer,” calling it the “biggest lie in television history.” It accuses them of lying “out of greed and lust” to profit while intentionally destroying the life of Fiona Harvey, “an innocent woman defamed … at a magnitude and scale without precedent.”

A spokesperson for Netflix responded to the lawsuit in a statement to CNN, saying, “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”

Harvey’s complaint claims Netflix failed to verify the show’s details. The show also depicts Gadd’s character being sexually assaulted by the stalker.

Harvey’s complaint states that days after the show’s release, she received messages and death threats accusing her of being Gadd’s stalker. The lawsuit claims the show has left her fearful of leaving her home or checking the news.

“She has and continues to experience anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, shame, depression, nervousness, stomach pains, loss of appetite and fear, extreme stress and sickness all directly caused by the lies told about her,” the document states.