Netflix faces major setback in ‘Baby Reindeer’ lawsuit

Netflix has faced a major setback as a US judge ruled that “Baby Reindeer” was “not a true story,” paving the way for the “real-life” Martha to sue the platform.

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Fiona Harvey, a British woman, who claimed she was the inspiration for the stalker in the smash Netflix hit ‘Baby Reindeer’ sued the streamer in June, demanding $170 million in damages.

Created and written by Richard Gadd, the hit Netflix show claims in its opening episode to be ‘a true story’ and portrays ‘Martha’ as a delusional, violent and abusive woman.

Following the debut of the show, Fiona Harvey filed a defamation lawsuit against the streaming giant, calling the ‘a true story’ line the “biggest lie in television history.”

“It is a lie told by Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, get more attention, to make more money, and to viciously destroy the life of Plaintiff, Fiona Harvey,” she said in her lawsuit.

Now, a California Judge Gary Klausner has ruled that this billing of the story as “true” was not accurate.

The US judge ruled that Martha’s behaviour on the show is significantly worse than what Harvey is accused of in real life.

“There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law. Likewise, there are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging another’s eyes. While plaintiff’s purported actions are reprehensible, Defendants’ statements are of a worse degree and could produce a different effect in the mind of a viewer,” the judge wrote in his ruling.

It is to be noted here that Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer’ proved to be a global hit and also won best limited series at the Emmys.