The real Martha from 'Baby Reindeer' sues Netflix for $170 million

Fiona Harveythe Scottish woman better known as “the real-life Martha” who was, allegedly, the inspiration for the hit series Baby Reindeer o baby reindeer of Richard Gadd y Netflixha filed a lawsuit against the streamer, looking damages of at least $170 million dollars.

After the premiere of the series on the platform on April 11, where it became an immediate hit, Harvey went public declaring that the character of Martha in Reindeer Baby, where she is played by Jessica Gunning, is based on her. . Harvey is suing Netflix, alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and violations of his right of publicity.

The lawsuit was filed on Thursday, June 6, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. You can access a copy of Harvey's complaint by clicking here.

Baby Reindeer It is a drama series based on real events. The story portrays writer-performer Richard Gadd's “twisted relationship with his stalker, and the impact it has on him, who is forced to confront a deep, dark, buried trauma.”

Gadd himself is the creator and star of the series, in which Gadd plays a fictional version of himself named Donny Dunn. The seven-episode limited series follows Dunn as he tries to make a name for himself in the stand-up scene while working as a bartender, attracting along the way a rabid stalker named Martha, who sends him thousands of emails and harasses his family already. his girlfriend.

Gadd maintained the anonymity of the real Martha in the series, however, it did not take long for Internet users to discover Fiona Harvey, it only took a quick search on social networks to find the identity of the “real life Martha.” .”

Shortly after the release of baby reindeer, Harvey appeared on the Piers Morgan show to tell his side of the story. There, she confessed to Morgan that she was considering taking legal action against Gadd and Netlix. Harvey denied sending Gadd 41,000 emails.

Harvey's lawsuit alleges that Netflix told “brutal lies” about her in the series. Below is an excerpt from the complaint (via Variety):

“The lies the Defendants told about Harvey to more than 50 million people around the world include that Harvey is a twice-convicted stalker sentenced to five years in prison, and that Harvey sexually assaulted Gadd. The Defendants ​”They told these lies and they never stopped doing it, because it was a better story than the truth, and the best stories made money.”

The lawsuit continues: “As a result of Defendants' lies, malfeasance, and totally reckless misconduct, Harvey's life was ruined. Simply put, Netflix and Gadd destroyed his reputation, his character, and her life.”

Harvey is seeking more than $170 million from Netflix, including: at least $50 million in 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. Those amounts do not include legal fees or costs, according to the complaint.

Gadd is not named as a defendant in Harvey's lawsuit.

To date, the series has been watched by more than 50 million users of the streamer around the world.