Woman claiming to be inspiration for stalker in "Reindeer Baby" sues Netflix.
Harvey claims to be the genuine "Martha" character as seen in the show, a tenacious stalker who bothers a comedian for numerous years. In the lawsuit, the fact that Netflix labels the series as "true story" is branded "the biggest deception in television history."
The "deception" was perpetrated by the show's creator, Richard Gadd, a British comic according to the lawsuit, done out of "greed and a craving for fame." The lawsuit claims that the story is being spread untruthfully "to entice more viewers, gain more attention, generate more income, and cruelly ruin the life of the plaintiff Fiona Harvey."
A Netflix spokesperson declared that the organization would "robustly" fight against the lawsuit and safeguard Gadd's right to share his tale. Gadd appears as a fictionalized version of himself in the seven-part series, a stand-up comic called Donny Dunn. The series is based on one of Gadd's one-person theater shows.
The series, which debuted in April and is also popular in Germany, depicts how Martha torments the comedian over several years, along with not only him but also his girlfriend and loved ones. Martha sends, for example, approximately 40,000 emails and audio messages amounting to many hours. Besides, Martha also sexually harasses the comedian.
Gadd has stated that he altered the circumstances of the stalker in the show to preserve her anonymity. However, keen investigators soon identified Harvey and reached out to her via online platforms. Harvey then made herself known publicly and denied in interviews that she inundated Gadd with emails and other cyber correspondence and physically assailed him.
In the litigation against Netflix, it is mentioned that several lies propagated in the series include Harvey being convicted twice for stalking, being sentenced to five years in prison, and sexually assaulting Gadd. These "lies" are shared because "they make for a more appealing story than the reality - and more appealing stories produce revenue."
