$170 Million Lawsuit Against Netflix's Award-Winning Series baby reindeerThe trial is scheduled to begin on May 6, 2025. The case attracted international attention when it began unfolding earlier this year, seeking to address allegations that alleged stalker Fiona Harvey had defamed the popular streaming service.
The judge set the trial date for May 6 on Tuesday, confirming Harvey's intention to pursue her claims regarding the Netflix thriller, Deadline reported. baby reindeerThe series, which has been advertised as a true story by both Netflix and the show's creator and lead actor Richard Gad, follows Gad's harrowing experiences with a female stalker, who was given the pseudonym “Martha.” Although Gad has claimed to have authored his own version of the events depicted in baby reindeer Shortly after the show's release, a woman emerged claiming to be “the real Martha”, while maintaining her anonymity. Daily Mail In an article ahead of her interview with Piers Morgan, it was finally revealed that her real name is 58-year-old Fiona Harvey.
If Martha is indeed Harvey's fictional counterpart, it's understandable why she might feel unfairly persecuted by the Netflix series. By presenting itself as a true story, baby reindeer This led the audience to mistakenly believe that all of the events depicted in the show were completely accurate—including events that have since been disproven. For example, baby reindeer The series presents Martha as a twice-convicted stalker serving a prison sentence at the show's conclusion, but after a statement from Harvey disputing that claim, both Netflix and Judd admitted that the real Martha never actually served a prison sentence.
Central questions in baby reindeer lawsuit
In order to prove defamation, Harvey has to prove it. baby reindeer She failed to adequately conceal her identity.Although Judd discouraged viewers of the show from speculating about Martha’s true identity, Harvey denied that her identity was revealed within days by savvy internet sleuths. Her initial complaint to Netflix alleged that too many details were left out as clues in the show, including her age, location, occupation, manner of speaking, and general appearance. Social media users were also able to uncover an old tweet by Harvey that included a specific quote that was used almost verbatim in baby reindeer.
Meanwhile, Jad must deal with the “true story” description that preceded the first episode of baby reindeer Especially since one of the details included in the show – Harvey's convictions and prison sentences – has already been proven false, with Harvey claimed that there were many other details about her life in baby reindeer It is also incorrect. This is a critical element of the lawsuit, because making false and damaging claims about Harvey’s life that could damage her reputation is the very definition of defamation. At the same time, Netflix has remained relatively silent about the upcoming lawsuit, They are likely to prepare for the tough battle ahead.
