A woman believed to be the inspiration behind the character Martha in the hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer has said she is going to sue Netflix and creator-turned-star Richard Gadd over the “defamatory” depiction.
Fiona Harvey said she has been “forced” into telling her side of the story after receiving death threats from “internet sleuths” following the release of the Netflix show.
In the drama series inspired by the real-life experiences of comedian and writer Gadd, his character Donny is stalked by a woman named Martha Scott after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works.
On Piers Morgan Uncensored, Ms Harvey repeatedly denied stalking Gadd in real life, describing the show as “a work of fiction, a work of hyperbole”.
The 58-year-old claimed that she was prepared to go to a court of law to defend herself against allegations made in the series.
When Morgan asked if she would “categorically be taking legal action”, she replied: “Absolutely, against both him (Gadd) and Netflix.”
Ms Harvey said she had instructed lawyers in part, but “we want to explore all the options out there, there are a number of people to sue”.
'It is complete nonsense'
During the interview, Ms Harvey referenced a scene in the show where the character Martha admits to intimidating Gadd’s character and receives a nine-month prison sentence.
“That is completely untrue, very, very defamatory to me, very career damaging,” she said.
“I wanted to rebut that completely on this show – I am not a stalker, I have not been to jail, I’ve not got injunctions – it is complete nonsense.”
After the show was released, viewers began to speculate about the real people who inspired the events behind the series, which saw Gadd post a message to his Instagram story.
He said: “Hi everyone, people I love, have worked with, and admire… are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.
“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be.
“That’s not the point of our show.”
Representatives for Gadd and Netflix have been contacted for comment.
By Ellie Iorizzo, PA Los Angeles Correspondent
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