Fiona Harvey has sued Netflix for at least $170 million, claiming defamation and emotional distress over her portrayal in the series Baby Reindeer.
Fiona Harvey hauls Netflix to court in $170 million lawsuit
According to reports, Harvey alleges that the series defamed her, inflicted emotional distress, and violated her right to publicity.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, seeks monetary damages of at least $170 million.
Harvey’s complaint accuses Netflix and Gadd of spreading “brutal lies” about her to over 50 million viewers worldwide.
According to the lawsuit, the series falsely portrays Harvey as a twice-convicted stalker who served five years in prison and sexually assaulted Gadd.
“The lies that Defendants told about Harvey…include that Harvey is a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to five years in prison and that Harvey sexually assaulted Gadd,” the complaint states.
Harvey asserts that these falsehoods have destroyed her reputation and her life.
In response to the lawsuit, a Netflix representative stated:
“We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”
Who is Fiona Harvey?
Fiona Harvey was born in 1965 or 1966 in Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland.
She describes her upbringing as “middle-class” in rural Scotland and attended the University of Aberdeen, where she earned a law degree in the 1980s.
Harvey claims to have met Richard Gadd several times at The Hawley Arms in Camden but denies the allegations of sending him 41,000 emails or visiting his home.
She admits to sending up to 10 emails, a letter, and several tweets to Gadd.
Following the release of Baby Reindeer, Harvey voiced her grievances on social media and later on Piers Morgan’s show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, where she discussed her intentions to take legal action against Netflix and Gadd.
The controversy surrounding Harvey has intensified, with further harassment allegations emerging.
Laura Wray, a lawyer and widow of Scottish politician Jimmy Wray, claimed that Harvey had made abusive social media posts after losing her job at Wray’s law firm in 1997.
Additionally, it was alleged that Harvey sent abusive emails to British politician Keir Starmer.
