A woman who claims to be the inspiration for the stalker character in the popular Netflix series Baby Reindeer has filed a lawsuit against the streaming platform seeking $170 million (£133 million) in damages.
According to legal documents filed in a Californian federal court, Fiona Harvey, 58, alleges that the show is based on her real-life experiences and that Netflix has spread “brutal lies” about her. The series follows writer and actor Richard Gadd as he copes with being stalked by a woman named Martha Scott, who is said to have been inspired by Ms. Harvey.
The lawsuit states that Ms. Harvey was portrayed as a “twice convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison” and that Netflix continued to spread these lies because it made for a better story and generated more profits. Ms. Harvey claims that these false allegations have ruined her life.
The legal action includes charges of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence, and violation of Ms. Harvey’s right of publicity. A spokesperson for Netflix has stated that the company plans to vigorously defend itself in the matter and stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.
In a recent interview with journalist Piers Morgan, Ms. Harvey revealed that she was “forced” to come forward after receiving online death threats from “internet sleuths.” She has repeatedly denied being a stalker and maintains that the series is a work of fiction.
Richard Gadd has also asked fans to stop trying to discover the real-life identities behind the characters in the show, stating that he would have made a documentary if he wanted the individuals to be identified. Sky News’s US partner network NBC News reports that the lawsuit describes the show’s claim of being a “true story” as “the biggest lie in television history.”
Ms. Harvey’s lawyer, Richard Roth, stated in an email that “Netflix destroyed a woman” with their false allegations and that the streaming platform did not make any effort to verify the facts or contact Ms. Harvey for her side of the story.
The lawsuit seeks $50 million (£39 million) in actual damages and compensatory damages each, as well as $20 million (£16 million) in punitive damages, and “all profits” from the show, which is estimated to be $50 million (£39 million).