Baby Reindeer inspiration Fiona Harvey threatens to sue Netflix, demands $1.25 million from Piers Morgan

Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer, allegedly based on his own life, led to a range of accusations against Fiona Harvey. Harvey's character has been named Martha Scott (played by Jessica Gunning) in the series.

The series delves into Gadd's life story according to which, he was stalked and harassed by a former customer at a bar that he used to work at. However, the allegations that have been levied as part of the narrative have not been well-met by the real-life Fiona Harvey, as one would expect.

On May 9, Harvey appeared for an interview with Piers Morgan on his YouTube channel. In a now-trending interview, Harvey went all in at Richard Gadd, claiming that the series did not focus on the truth. She claimed that most of the allegations were exaggerated and that she never sent the 41,000 emails, 744 tweets, 100 pages of letters, and 350 hours of voicemails that she has been accused of.

Barrister Chris Daw KC, who is assisting Fiona Harvey in drafting a lawsuit, revealed to Deadline that Netflix did not get in touch with her in any way following her public appearance.

Chronicling a range of claims made in Baby Reindeer, Fiona Harvey has alleged defamation and recently threatened to sue both Netflix and Morgan. While she is currently working to initiate a suit against the streaming giant, Harvey also demanded a payment of $1.25 million from her interviewer.

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Fiona Harvey demands compensation from Piers Morgan, threatens to sue Netflix for Baby Reindeer

Harvey has since claimed that she was exploited in the interview and that Morgan made millions from the video which has racked up more than 2.6 million views on YouTube. While Harvey initially met Richard Gadd at a bar in London, back in 2013, that seems to be one of the only details that she claims has some basis in the truth, in Baby Reindeer.

Harvey had claimed that she never went to prison and that there were several basic things wrong with her depiction in Baby Reindeer.

“Portraying someone as a convicted criminal who has done time in prison, when that is not true, is a pretty clearcut case of defamation, as it is bound to cause serious harm to that person’s reputation", she said.

A former lawyer herself, Harvey is currently working with London-based lawyer Chris Daw KC, who has asked for a major review of Netflix’s policies in a recent interview. Daw claimed that while he is yet to see the evidence from his client, the fact that Netflix billed Baby Reindeer as a ‘true story’ means that there is a clear ground for defamation.

While it is currently unclear how Harvey and Daw plan to proceed, it is clear that further litigation is on the cards for the two. Fiona Harvey was paid a meager sum of £250, and claimed that she was used by Morgan for his own good. However, now that the interview has gone viral, she believes that she deserves a much bigger payment.

In the aftermath of the interview, Piers Morgan claimed that he had no qualms with the controversy as he wanted to give Harvey a platform to ‘tell her story.’ He has not yet responded to the latest claims.

However, one can expect further updates regarding the situation, considering Harvey seems to be on the verge of proceeding with a suit.