Netflix faces US$170 million 'Baby Reindeer' defamation lawsuit

Richard Gadd, the creator and star of 'Baby Reindeer,' poses at a photo call for the Netflix miniseries at the Directors Guild of America, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Los Angeles. (Chris Pizzello / AP Photo)

Netflix was sued on Thursday for at least US$170 million by a Scottish woman who said she was defamed over her portrayal as a stalker in the hit mini-series "Baby Reindeer."

The plaintiff Fiona Harvey has publicly claimed to be the inspiration behind the character Martha, played by actress Jessica Gunning, who shares a physical resemblance and like her is a lawyer in London.

But in a complaint filed in Los Angeles federal court, Harvey said Netflix and "Baby Reindeer" creator Richard Gadd went too far by suggesting through the show, which calls itself a "true story," that she was a twice-convicted stalker who had been sentenced to five years in prison.

Harvey denied having stalked Gadd, who on the show plays a fictional version of himself named Donny Dunn, or having been convicted or imprisoned.

But she said many people couldn't tell the difference, and thousands of Reddit and TikTok users talk about her as the "real" Martha.

"Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money," the complaint said.

Netflix did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit seeks at least US$50 million each for actual damages, compensatory damages including mental anguish, and profits, plus at least US$20 million of punitive damages.

Harvey sued two days after Netflix settled a defamation lawsuit by former prosecutor Linda Fairstein over her portrayal in "When They See Us," a 2019 series about the Central Park Five rape case three decades earlier.

Netflix agreed to move a disclaimer that some characters may have been altered for dramatic purposes to the start of episodes from the closing credits. It also agreed to donate $1 million to a nonprofit that helps free wrongfully convicted people.

The case is Harvey v Netflix Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, No. 24-04744.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Aurora Ellis)