UK government confirms ‘Baby Reindeer’ Fiona Harvey was never convicted of stalking Richard Gadd
Fiona Harvey, the woman who inspired the stalker in Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, was never actually convicted of stalking Richard Gadd. This contradicts the show, where Harvey, known as Martha in the series, pleads guilty to stalking Gadd and serves jail time. All this has been confirmed in a letter from Netflix to the UK Government.
Fiona Harvey was quickly discovered by fans of the hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer. The series details Gadd’s life and the years he spent being harassed by a woman he once served a free drink to in a pub out of pity.
People uncovered Harvey as the stalker in the series by looking back at her tweets, which date back years and were used in the show. After receiving multiple messages on social media, Harvey came out and admitted she thought Martha’s character was supposed to be her. “I have no doubt that the character of ‘Martha’ in Baby Reindeer was intended to be a portrayal of me,” she said in a statement filed via her lawyer.
Harvey also wrote, “The problem for Richard Gadd and now for Netflix is that Baby Reindeer is not a true story at all. I am not a ‘Convicted stalker’. I have never been charged with any crime…” She continued, “Nobody ever approached me for any comment on the accuracy of Baby Reindeer or the very serious and damaging allegation that I am a convicted criminal, with a serious criminal record, who has spent time in prison. Nobody ever asked for my permission to present me in this way or to use my image at all.”
Baby Reindeer was a hit, reaching 56.6million views within just 26 days of its release. It has been one of the most popular Netflix shows of the year, and Harvey’s vindication of her argument about its inaccuracy is a big turning point for the show. She claims to have been the subject of abuse since the show’s release, as an onslaught of “abuse” and “death threats” have allegedly been aimed at her.
A title card says, “This is a true story,” before every episode of Baby Reindeer, a show that says the character of Martha, who has since been confirmed as Harvey, had served four years in jail for stalking and had to serve another nine months at the conclusion of the show.
Harvey is suing Netflix for $170 million over defamation and privacy violations. Her case is ongoing, but the recent development that she was never convicted will be major evidence.
This is a developing story.