Richard Gadd Supports Dismissal of ‘Real Martha’ Netflix Lawsuit

Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd has come out in support of Netflix in their bid to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Fiona Harvey. The streamer is facing allegations of defamation and emotional distress from Harvey.

The seven-part series, penned and headlined by comedian Gadd, has been marketed by Netflix as a true story. It depicts Gadd’s character being persistently stalked and harassed by a woman named Martha Scott, whom he encounters while working in a Camden pub.

Although Gadd isn’t a named defendant in Harvey’s $50 million (£39 million) lawsuit, he has filed a response in federal court defending Netflix’s motion to dismiss the case, dated 28 July.

“I am a comedian, writer, and actor. I created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer (the ‘Series’),” Gadd stated in his declaration.

“I have personal knowledge of the facts set forth below and, if called as a witness, could and would testify competently thereto. I submit this declaration in support of defendants Netflix, Inc., and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC’s special motion to strike.”

In the detailed 21-page document, Gadd outlines the torment he allegedly experienced while he knew Harvey.

“Overall, it was an incredibly stressful and worrying time, with a sustained period of relentless behavior taking place over several years,” he continued.

“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.”

Gadd expressed surprise at Harvey’s appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, where she claimed to be the inspiration for the Martha character and denied having sent him thousands of emails or voicemails.

He explained that he never intended the series to identify any real person, including Harvey, as Martha Scott.

“Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey. Like all characters in the Series, Martha is a fictional character with fictional personality traits that are very different than Harvey’s,” Gadd said in the partially blacked-out document.

Gadd also mentioned getting a “First Instance Harassment Warning” against Harvey from UK police in 2016 which, according to him, marked the end of their communication.

Harvey, who warned in May about her plans to take legal action against Netflix, claims in the lawsuit that she has been harassed globally because of the series and faults Netflix for not adequately protecting her identity.

The 58-year-old alleges that the streaming platform ruined her reputation with their portrayal of Martha. According to her legal documents, she argues that she never stalked or sexually assaulted Gadd and was not criminally convicted for stalking.