Baby Reindeer's Richard Gadd says he 'knows the facts' as he backs Netflix in lawsuit
Fiona Harvey, who claims to have been the inspiration for the character of Martha in the series, is suing Netflix for defamation and negligence.
Richard Gadd, the creator and star of Netflix series Baby Reindeer, has submitted a 21-page declaration to federal court in the USA, backing the streamer as Fiona Harvey sues it for defamation and negligence.
Harvey, who claims to have been the inspiration for the character of Martha in the series, and appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored to declare as much, is suing the streamer for $170 million.
The show is billed as a "true story", and Harvey's suit against Netflix, Inc. and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment claims that it tells "brutal lies".
The legal complaint 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."
While Gadd is not named as a defendant in the suit, he has now submitted a declaration, portions of which have been sealed to the public.
The declaration says: "I am a comedian, writer, and actor. I created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer (the 'Series'). I have personal knowledge of the facts set forth below and, if called as a witness, could and would testify competently thereto.
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"I submit this declaration in support of defendants Netflix, Inc., and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC’s special motion to strike."
Gadd continues: "Overall, it was an incredibly stressful and worrying time, with a sustained period of relentless behaviour taking place over several years.
"It is impossible to be exhaustive in setting out all of Harvey’s conduct, as there were so many instances of unwelcome personal interaction and attempts to engage, as well as deeply troubling communication."
In the declaration, Gadd says that 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 continues: "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."
Before Harvey identified herself as the inspiration for the Martha character in Baby Reindeer, Gadd had told The Hollywood Reporter that the show was in a "sort of fictional realm, even though it's based on truth, it exists in a fictional realm".
He added: "If I wanted the real-life people to be found, I would've made it a documentary. I've spoken publicly about how I don't want people to do it and if I start playing a game of whack-a-mole, then I'm almost adding to it. I don't think I'll ever comment on it ever again."
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.
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