Netflix is facing demands to provide evidence that Baby Reindeer’s ‘real-life Martha’ was convicted of stalking, while Fiona Harvey has claimed she is putting together a legal team to sue Richard Gadd and Netflix.
John Nicolson, a Scottish National Party MP and spokesperson for digital, culture, media, and sport in the House of Commons, has shared a letter addressed to Benjamin King, senior director of public policy for Netflix.
He argues that the streaming service has a “duty of care” to the woman identified as Martha in Richard Gadd’s hit series, Baby Reindeer.
Netflix told me the Martha character in #BabyReindeer was, in real life, a “convicted stalker” when I asked about the company’s duty of care towards her. It's a serious charge, yet journalists can find no court record. I've written to @Netflix to ask for evidence. @CommonsCMS pic.twitter.com/IMkWVJg22E
— JOHN NICOLSON M.P. 🇵🇸 🇺🇦 (@MrJohnNicolson) May 17, 2024
The news arrives after the woman in question, Fiona Harvey, appeared on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored to claim she’s never been convicted of stalking, despite Martha facing an arrest and prison sentence in the series.
Nicolson’s letter, shared on Friday, May 17, quotes King’s earlier statement to the committee in which he said Baby Reindeer is “obviously a true story of the horrific abuse that the writer… suffered, at the hands of a convicted stalker.”
Following this quote, the SNP spokesperson said, “Journalists have thus far been unable to find a record of the conviction to which you referred. Can you provide me with the evidence for this serious claim which you made to me at the Select Committee?”
On X/Twitter, Nicolson added, “Netflix told me the Martha character in #BabyReindeer was, in real life, a ‘convicted stalker’ when I asked about the company’s duty of care towards her.
“It’s a serious charge, yet journalists can find no court record. I’ve written to @Netflix to ask for evidence.”
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UK lawyer Chris Daw previously appeared on Morgan’s channel to claim that he’s been speaking with Harvey and is “in discussions now with a law firm in London with a view to taking the case forward.”
Last night, Harvey returned to Facebook after a hiatus, stating that she is “putting together a legal team” to “sue Gadd and Netflix.”
She also said that “lawyers are renegotiating a proper fee” for her appearance on Morgan’s Uncensored after it was reported that Harvey was only paid £250 ($315) for the episode.
This is in line with her statement to the Daily Record earlier this week. “They offered me £250 and I asked if that was what they paid everyone and, if so, I wanted to see documentation to that effect,” she said.
“That documentation has not been forthcoming. I have not signed a contract for the interview and I will be seeking far more than a piddling £250. I’d settle for a million.”
You can also read our guide to every article about Fiona Muir, all of Fiona Harvey’s tweets to Richard Gadd, and a breakdown of Baby Reindeer’s ending.