Netflix allegedly ‘requested’ controversial Baby Reindeer moment, despite Richard Gadd’s concerns
NetflixThe legal case against Netflix show Baby Reindeer has another update, with the streaming service allegedly responsible for the controversial detail that got the ball rolling.
Despite huge success on the streaming service, Netflix series Baby Reindeer has had a more complicated life away from the screen.
After fans identified 58-year-old Fiona Harvey as the “real-life Martha Scott,” she has continuously denied the claims and pursued a legal case against Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd.
Harvey’s case is claiming around $130 million on the grounds of defamation, which hinges on the show’s preface of “this is a true story” in its opening moments — despite no evidence of Harvey ever being convicted or charged by police found to reflect Martha’s storyline.
Now, it’s been alleged that Netflix was the driving force behind including this line in Baby Reindeer, despite concerns from Gadd.
The news comes courtesy of The Times, which reported, “Sources in the TV industry have told The Sunday Times that this line was a request from Netflix, and that Gadd expressed concerns about presenting it as such (both Netflix and Gadd’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment).
“There is also a little-noticed addendum at the end of the credits, with a disclaimer that parts of the series, which was made by London-based Clerkenwell Films, are fictionalized for dramatic purposes.”
What this means for the case remains to be seen, but Harvey’s lawyer Richard Roth has already publicly spoken out on the potential “watershed moment for streaming TV.”
“I think the second reason is that it is really just reprehensible when someone says something’s ‘a true story’… And if Netflix is going to say this is a true story, then it better well be true. And to do that is irresponsible of them,” he explained.
While plenty of articles and tweets have been found about Harvey under her former name, Fiona Muir, no convictions or police records have ever been unearthed. In Baby Reindeer’s final episode, Martha (Jessica Gunning) is seen in court being convicted after leaving a threatening voicemail on Donny’s (Gadd) phone.
Harvey first stated her intentions of suing Gadd and Netflix during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored, stating, “They’ve billed it as a true story, and it’s blatantly not.”
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