The show is based on a one-man play by Richard Gadd and tells the fictional story of the author meeting a stalker in the pub where he works.
British woman claims to be the inspiration for the stalker character in Netflix smash hit 'Martha' Baby Reindeer The company filed a lawsuit against the streamer on Thursday, seeking $170 million in damages.
Fiona Harvey identifies herself as the real-life version of “Martha”, the delusional, violent and abusive woman at the centre of Richard Gadd's global phenomenon, which claims at the outset that it is a “true story”.
“The above quote is the biggest lie in the history of television,” the lawsuit, filed in California, states.
“This was a lie perpetrated by Netflix and its creator Richard Gadd out of their desire for fame and greed. This lie was created to attract more viewers, more attention and more money, but also with the intent of brutally destroying the life of plaintiff Fiona Harvey.”
“We will vigorously defend this issue and Richard Gadd's right to tell his story,” a Netflix spokesman said in a statement to AFP.
An instant hit on Netflix
The seven-episode series premiered on Netflix in April and quickly became a hit.
The show is based on Gadd's one-man play and tells the fictional story of an author who encounters a stalker in the pub where he works.
An encounter with a seemingly depressed woman, Martha (Jessica Gunning), prompts him to perform a small act of kindness by offering her a free cup of tea.
As Martha begins frequenting the pub, taking up Donny's time with incessant chatter and fictional stories about her lavish life, her obsession with Donny becomes increasingly apparent. She soon begins spamming him, flooding his inbox with hundreds of messages each day, each with an increasingly provocative tone.
The show also shows Martha, who was reportedly previously convicted of stalking a lawyer, sexually assaulting Gad.
The British writer and performer told journalists that she changed her details to protect Martha's identity, but detectives soon tracked her down and began contacting her on social media.
“Martha” seeks justice
Following the revelation, Harvey appeared on British television to deny messaging Mr Gadd and that he had attacked him or his girlfriend.
“Among the lies Defendants told about Harvey to more than 50 million people around the world were that Harvey had been convicted twice of stalking; Defendants alleged that Harvey had been sentenced to five years in prison and that Harvey had sexually assaulted Mr. Gadd,” the lawsuit states.
“Defendants continued to tell these lies and never stopped. It was a better story than the truth, and a good story makes money. And Netflix, a multi-billion dollar, multinational entertainment streaming company, did literally nothing to verify the 'true story' Gad told them.”
The lawsuit against Netflix alleges defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, and seeks $170 million in damages.
Additional sources: AFP
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