Baby Reindeer is 'Richard Gadd's true story', says Netflix boss amid lawsuit
"I'm surprised that it's a continued debate."
Netflix drama series Baby Reindeer continues to prove itself a huge hit for the streamer, as it won four Emmy Awards - for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series, Outstanding Writing for Richard Gadd, Outstanding Lead Actor for Gadd and Outstanding Supporting Actress for Jessica Gunning.
However, the series also remains somewhat contentious, as it is currently the subject of a defamation lawsuit by a woman, Fiona Harvey, who claims to be the real-life inspiration for Gunning's character, Martha.
With the suit ongoing, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos has reiterated to The Times that he is "proud of the show and the way Richard handled the story".
The show had a "true story" label attached to it, and Sarandos said: "It was no one’s intent to use a label recklessly. That is Richard’s true story.
"The fact that you’re watching on television says that parts of it were certainly fictionalised and dramatised. I’m surprised that it’s a continued debate."
Following his Emmy wins, Gadd said of the conversation surrounding the series: "It’s easier in this day and age to focus on the negatives. I think what you have to look at is what Baby Reindeer has done globally.
"I mean, how many [homes] have watched it worldwide? It’s something like 80 million. At Netflix, it’s like 20 million who have watched this show.
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"It’s touched the lives of so many people. For charities in the UK, there has been an 80 per cent increase [in donations] for sexual abuse charities, 53 per cent of which cite Baby Reindeer. But nobody seems to be talking about that. The show has done some phenomenal things worldwide for so many people, I’ll stand by that."
In July, Gadd submitted a 21-page declaration to federal court in the USA, backing Netflix in Harvey's suit for $170 million.
In the declaration, Gadd says he "never intended the Series to identify any real person as Martha Scott, including Harvey", adding that "Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey" and that "like all characters in the Series, Martha is a fictional character with fictional personality traits that are very different than Harvey’s".
The declaration continued: "I was surprised that Harvey appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored. Though I have only watched certain segments, I understand she claimed that she was the inspiration for the Martha character, and that she never sent me thousands of emails nor left me any voicemails.
"She harassed and stalked me over several years, and since her interview, other individuals have contacted me through my agents and publicists and said they were also harassed by Harvey, but all were too scared of her to come forward."
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The legal complaint from Harvey says: "The lies that Defendants told about Harvey to over 50 million people worldwide include that Harvey is a twice convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison, and that Harvey sexually assaulted Gadd.
"Defendants told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money."
Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £4.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
