Fiona Harvey Threatens Legal Action Over Baby Reindeer Portrayal

Fiona Harvey, the woman who allegedly inspired the character of Martha in Netflix’s hit series Baby Reindeer, has issued a statement about the overwhelmingly negative impact the show has had on her life, and her intentions to sue not only Netflix, but everyone involved who may have used her image to benefit financially.

In a statement released to Entertainment Tonight via her lawyer Chris Daw, Harvey revealed that she has every intention of suing “all of those who have lied about me and used my image to make large sums of money for themselves.”

Following internet sleuths identifying Harvey as the inspiration behind the character of Martha — who is criminally convicted of stalking on the show — Harvey claims that by marketing Baby Reindeer as a true story, she’s essentially been defamed.

“I have no doubt that the character of Martha in Baby Reindeer was intended to be a portrayal of me,” Harvey wrote in her statement.

“The problem for Richard Gadd and now for Netflix is that Baby Reindeer is not a true story at all. I am not a ‘convicted stalker’. I have never been charged with any crime, let alone been convicted, still less pleaded guilty and of course, I have never been to prison for anything. This is how Gadd and Netflix chose to portray me in a TV show, for their own financial gain.

“Nobody ever approached me for any comment on the accuracy of Baby Reindeer, or the very serious and damaging allegation that I am a convicted criminal, with a serious criminal record, who has spent time in prison. Nobody ever asked for my permission to present me in this way or to use my image at all.”

Harvey claims that the attention from the series has caused immense damage to her wellbeing.

“My rapid identification as the real Martha, has caused untold damage to my health, my reputation, my job prospects and my ability to make sensible decisions about my welfare and best interests. This media firestorm continues, with daily bombardments of calls seeking comment on stories of every possible kind.”

Harvey goes on to state that she will be making a further statement once she has a full legal team in place. Until then, she concludes her statement by asking for people to respect her privacy.

“I am making this statement to make clear that I will not be making any further media comment of any kind until further notice,” she continued.

“For the good of my health, please respect my privacy and please stop the endless calls and messages, asking for interviews, comments, and so many other things. I have made clear that I am not physically able to cope with relentless harassment from journalists and, if this continues, I will make a report to the police.”

Harvey was identified by internet sleuths as the potential inspiration behind Baby Reindeer‘s stalker Martha mere days after the series premiered on Netflix and became a smash hit — despite Gadd’s pleas to fans to stop looking into the people who inspired the series. On May 9, Harvey identified herself as the inspiration behind the character by participating in a rather bizarre interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.

Baby Reindeer is a drama series that follows a comedian and barman named Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd). The series is based on an experience Gadd claims to have had when he was stalked by a woman named Martha Scott after he showed her an act of kindness one evening.

If you haven’t seen it yet, the series is incredibly compelling. You can watch Baby Reindeer in full on Netflix.