Netflix’s effort to dismiss a defamation lawsuit filed by Fiona Harvey, the woman who inspired the stalker character in the hit series Baby Reindeer, has been rejected by a U.S. court. Harvey alleges that the streaming giant portrayed her in a misleading and damaging way to its global audience of over 50 million people.
The defamation suit centers around the show’s depiction of events in the life of Richard Gadd, the creator of Baby Reindeer. Although the series was promoted as a “true story”, the court found that several key events shown on screen, including a conviction for stalking, did not occur in real life.
In response, Netflix has vowed to defend the case. A representative for the platform said, “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”
In his ruling, Judge Gary Klausner pointed out that there is “a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law”. He highlighted additional discrepancies between what was portrayed in the series and the actual events.
Harvey has contested several aspects of the show’s narrative, claiming that she never engaged in the actions depicted on screen, such as sexually assaulting Gadd, attacking him violently in a pub, or waiting outside his home for extended periods. She refuted Netflix’s argument that these scenes should be viewed as “substantially true” due to her alleged similar conduct in real life.
The judge clarified the differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as shoving and gouging someone’s eyes. “There are major differences,” he wrote, dismissing Netflix’s attempt to blur the lines.
Gadd’s original stage play, from which the show is adapted, was initially described as being “based on a true story” rather than presented as an outright factual account. Judge Klausner pointed out that this distinction could have indicated that some details were fictionalized.
In June, The Sunday Times reported that industry insiders claimed Gadd had voiced concerns to Netflix about presenting the show as simply “a true story”. According to the judge, Netflix’s decision to proceed regardless showed a “reckless disregard” for the accuracy of the statements made in the series.
While Netflix argued that the show’s presentation as a drama would have signaled to viewers that it was not entirely factual, Klausner disagreed. He noted that the first episode explicitly claims that the story is true, which invites viewers to take it as fact.
Netflix also argued that the character of “Martha” in Baby Reindeer was so broadly drawn that viewers would not be able to identify her as Fiona Harvey. However, the judge rejected this argument, noting that Martha and Harvey share specific characteristics that make the connection evident.
Despite siding with Harvey on several points, the judge dismissed her claims of negligence and gross negligence, as well as her request for punitive damages.
Baby Reindeer has been one of Netflix’s standout shows in recent months, winning six Emmy Awards in the U.S., including three for Gadd, who received accolades for acting, writing, and producing.
