Baby Reindeer: Judge says Netflix show not true representation of actual events, rules in favour of ‘Martha’

A judge has ruled that the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer was not entirely a true story, opening up the opportunity for the real-life Martha to pursue a defamation lawsuit.

In the ruling on Friday, US time, Judge Gary Klausner noted that the series opened with the line “This is a true story”, which encouraged the viewer to perceive the entire story and its events as fact.

However, he found that Martha’s behaviour on the show was portrayed significantly worse than what is accused of the actual woman, Fiona Harvey, in real life.

Harvey claimed that the series, created by the real life victim of her antics Richard Gadd, falsely implied that she sexually assaulted Gadd and gouged his eyes, and that she had been sent to prison for stalking him.

In his defence, Mr Gadd argued that Harvey had stalked him for years when he worked at a London pub, would sometimes pinch his buttocks, and had sent him thousands of disturbing emails and voicemail messages.

He reported her to the police and she was issued a “harassment warning” — but she was not sent to jail.

“There is a major difference between stalking and being convicted of stalking in a court of law,” the judge wrote.

“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 ruling allowed Harvey to pursue a claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress, which applies to “extreme and outrageous” false statements.