Elisabeth McGowan 
The alleged real-life Martha Scott from Baby Reindeer, Fiona Harvey, has filed a lawsuit against Netflix. In new court records, Harvey claimed that the way she was portrayed by actress Jessica Gunning was inaccurate and that series lead Richard Gadd‘s story is a “lie.”
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE on Thursday, June 6, Harvey is suing the streaming platform for more than $170 million. The lawsuit claimed that the statement made in episode 1, “This is a true story,” is “the biggest lie in television history.”
“It is a lie told by Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, get more attention, to make more money, and to viciously destroy the life of Plaintiff, Fiona Harvey – an innocent woman defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd at a magnitude and scale without precedent,” the court documents read, according to the outlet.
Furthermore, the lawsuit claimed that Netflix “did literally nothing to confirm the ‘true story’ that Gadd told. That is, it never investigated whether Harvey was convicted, a very serious misrepresentation of the facts. It did nothing to understand the relationship between Gadd and Harvey, if any. It did nothing to determine whether other facts, including an assault, the alleged stalking or the conviction was accurate.”
In response to the lawsuit, a rep for Netflix provided a statement to PEOPLE, saying, “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”
Last month, Harvey spoke out about the show during an interview with Piers Morgan, calling the series — which was awarded best Breakthrough Limited Series at the 2024 Gotham TV Awards — “obscene.”
“I find it horrifying, misogynistic,” Harvey said. “People [are] phoning me up. It’s been absolutely horrendous. I wouldn’t give credence to something like that, and it’s not really my kind of drama.”
Baby Reindeer depicts Gadd’s character, Donny Dunn, a struggling comedian in London, being stalked and harassed by a woman named Martha Scott. Throughout the miniseries, viewers see Gunn’s Martha verbally and physically assault Donny and his girlfriend. She also sexually assaults him in one scene.
If you or anyone you know has been sexually abused, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A trained staff member will provide confidential, judgment-free support as well as local resources to assist in healing, recovering and more.
