Fiona Harvey, the woman who says she's the real-life inspiration for the character Martha Scott in 'Baby Reindeer,' is suing Netflix.
Fiona Harvey, the woman who says she's the real-life inspiration for the character Martha Scott in Richard Gadd's hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer, has filed a $170 million lawsuit against the streamer.
After making a public statement that the character Martha was "intended to be a portrayal" of her and announcing her intention to take legal action against "all of those who have lied about me" and use her image to make money, Harvey has done just that. According to the lawsuit obtained by ET, Harvey has filed a lawsuit in California against Netflix, claiming defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and violations of her right of publicity.
In the lawsuit, she takes aim at the show that says it's based on real events and what she calls a false depiction of her as a convicted stalker who sexually assaulted Gadd and was sentenced to prison. She also claims Netflix "did literally nothing" to confirm Gadd's story, allegedly leaving her to suffer the consequences.
"Simply, Netflix and Gadd destroyed her reputation, her character and her life," the lawsuit states.
As for how she was identified, Harvey points to the series' recurring reference to the phrase "hang my curtains," which she says viewers connected to a 2014 tweet from Harvey that read "my curtains need hung badly." According to the lawsuit, from there -- along with her resemblance to the character -- she says she was identified as Martha and has been "tormented" as a result, suffering online hate and death threats.
"Harvey is physically weak. 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 in Baby Reindeer," the lawsuit reads. "Harvey is fearful of leaving her home or checking the news. As a direct result of Baby Reindeer, Harvey has become extremely secluded and isolated, in fear of the public, going days without leaving her home."
According to Harvey, "Baby Reindeer is not a true story. It is a lie created by Gadd and distributed by Netflix."
A spokesperson for Netflix told ET in a statement on Thursday, "We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd's right to tell his story"
Harvey is seeking a trial by jury, attorneys' fees and a total believed to exceed $170 million in actual, compensatory, and punitive damages as well as Baby Reindeer profits.
While Harvey previously sat for a televised interview with Piers Morgan, Nava Mau, who plays the character Teri in the series, told ET that the cast decided not to watch it.
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