Baby Reindeer's Alleged 'Real Martha' Sues Netflix for $170 Million

The woman who claims to be Martha's real inspiration in the hit Netflix series Baby reindeer sues 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 on the show. She filed the lawsuit Thursday, June 6, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

“The lies 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 assaulted sexually Gadd,” the complaint states. “The defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and the best stories made money. »

The complaint continues: “As a result of the defendants' lies, misdeeds and completely reckless misconduct, Harvey's life was ruined. Simply, Netflix and Gadd destroyed his reputation, his character and his life.

The $170 million Harvey, 58, is seeking is broken down into at least $50 million for actual damages, at least $50 million in compensatory damages for “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and loss “at least $50 million.” for all the benefits of Baby reindeer» and at least $20 million in punitive damages.

Baby reindeer is based on the show's creator Richard Gaddthe piece of the same name. In the series, Gadd, 35, plays Donny Dunn, a fictionalized version of himself who is the victim of a stalker named Martha (Jessica Gunning) and suffered sexual assault.

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 wrote a damn show about me.”

A legal expert said Us every week however, exclusively that Harvey's actions have already significantly weakened his cause.

“If you don’t want to attract attention, don’t give interviews” Neama Rahmaniwho has no affiliation with Harvey or the series, said We in May. “It kind of reminds me Prince Harry And Meghan Markle, some of the criticism they received. If you want to stay away from the public, don't give an interview. If you give interviews, it will attract more attention to you.

“This seems to me to be a very weak legal claim, and I don't think any reputable lawyer could pursue it,” he added.

Harvey's complaint points out that the show states at the start of the first episode: “This is a true story.”

“This is a lie told by Netflix and the series' creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, attract more attention, make more money and brutally destroy the life of the plaintiff, Fiona Harvey – an innocent woman defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd on an unprecedented scale and breadth “, argues the complaint. .