Baby Reindeer’s Alleged ‘Real Martha’ Fiona Harvey Sues Netflix for $170 Million
The woman claiming to be the real-life inspiration for Martha in the hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer is suing the streaming platform, demanding at least $170 million in damages.
Fiona Harvey, who came forward earlier this year at the height of the show’s popularity, alleges that Netflix told “brutal lies” about her in the series. She filed the suit Thursday, June 6, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
“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 complaint reads. “Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money.”
The complaint continues, “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.”
The $170 million that Harvey, 58, is seeking is broken down as at least $50 million for actual damages, at least $50 million in compensatory damages for “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of business,” at least $50 million “for all profits from Baby Reindeer” and at least $20 million in punitive damages.
Baby Reindeer is based on show creator Richard Gadd’s play of the same name. In the show, Gadd, 35, portrays Donny Dunn, a fictionalized version of himself, who falls victim to a stalker named Martha (Jessica Gunning) and experiences sexual assault.
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Last month, Harvey told the Daily Mail that she was considering taking legal action against Netflix over the series. “I’m the victim,” she said at the time. “He’s written a bloody show about me.”
A legal expert told Us Weekly exclusively, however, that Harvey’s actions have already significantly weakened her case.
“If you don’t want attention, don’t give interviews,” Neama Rahmani, who does not have an affiliation with Harvey or the show, told Us in May. “Kind of reminds me of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, some of the criticism they’ve received. If you want to stay out of the public light, don’t give interviews. If you do give interviews, it’s going to draw more attention to you.”
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“This strikes me as a very weak legal claim, and I don’t think any reputable lawyer is going to pursue it,” he added.
Harvey’s complaint points out that the show claims at the beginning of the first episode, “This is a true story.”
“It is a lie told by Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, get more attention, to make more money, and to viciously destroy the life of Plaintiff, Fiona Harvey — an innocent woman defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd at a magnitude and scale without precedent,” the complaint argues.
