How much is the real Martha from ‘Baby Reindeer’ suing Netflix for?

Baby Reindeer became an immediate hit on Netflix after its release, With only seven episodes, this series managed to capture the public’s attention - particularly because it is actually based on real events.

The series follows the story of Donny Dunn, played by Richard Gadd, a comedian and bar employee, who is harassed by a female stalker, Martha Scott, played by Jessica Gunning.

Comedian’s real-life stalker shows up

Gadd’s story is what inspired this series. When his identity was made public, fans of the series began to investigate - delving deeper until they found the woman who inspired the character of Martha. After much speculation, several social media users came to the conclusion that it was a woman named Fiona Harvey.

After several weeks, Harvey confirmed that she was indeed the person who inspired the character of Martha, but, in an interview with Piers Morgan, he clarified that the series does not show the events as they really happened. Now, Fiona has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, as she feels her image has been compromised and exploited without her consent.

Fiona Harvey seeks $170 million after suing Netflix

The Scottish woman has sued the streaming platform and is seeking monetary damages of at least $170 million. Harvey alleges defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and violations of her right to privacy, according to a report by Variety, which had access to the legal documents.

The lawsuit, which was filed Thursday in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, states that “brutal lies” were told about her in the series’ Baby Reindeer, for example, that she had sent Gadd 41,000 emails.

In the legal documents, Harvey alleges that “Netflix, a multi-billion-dollar multinational streaming entertainment company, did literally nothing to confirm the ‘true story’ Gadd told.”

According to Variety, Harvey is seeking more than $170 million from the broadcasting company, including: at least $50 million in actual damages; at least $50 million in compensatory damages for “mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of business”; at least $50 million “for all profits from ‘Baby Reindeer’”; and at least $20 million in punitive damages.

So far, Netflix has not shared any statement in relation to the lawsuit or Harvey’s claims.