The lawyer of the woman suing Netflix for how she is allegedly portrayed in its hit drama Baby Reindeer has called its haul of Emmy nominations “a slap in the face.”
Fiona Harvey, a Scottish woman who used to know Richard Gadd, the writer and lead actor of the drama, is suing Netflix for, among other things, defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence and gross negligence.
This week, her lawyer Richard Roth, told the UK’s Daily Mail that the recognition in the upcoming Awards was the “latest slap in the face” for Harvey who, he said, had suffered “a life-changing tragedy” as a result of the “brutal lies” told about her in the drama.
He said:
“There was some suggestion that the series shouldn’t have been nominated for Emmys because of this ongoing issue. Netflix claim that Baby Reindeer is a true story is clearly false.”
Regarding Harvey, who lives in London, he said: “She’s afraid to go out in case people shout at her in the street. She’s had death threats online, people yelling at her that she’s a stalker. It’s pretty unbearable for her to have been thrust into the limelight. What’s happened to her is just wrong.”
Last month, Harvey filed a $170million claim for damages in the Californian District Court. In her supporting document, Harvey is described as “physically weak. She has and continues to experience anxiety, nightmares, panic attacks, shame, depression, nervousness, stomach pains, loss of appetite and fear, extreme stress and sickness, all directly caused by the lies told about her in Baby Reindeer.”
The document filed states: “It is a lie told by Netflix and the show’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to attract more viewers, get more attention, to make more money, and to viciously destroy the life of…Fiona Harvey – an innocent woman defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd at a magnitude and scale without precedent.”
Last month, A Netflix spokesman said: ‘We intend to defend the matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.’
Harvey’s lawyer’s interview comes days after Baby Reindeer cemented its status as one of the breakout hits of 2024 by bagging a total of 11 Emmy nominations, including for best limited or anthology series.
The Netflix drama will compete for best limited series alongside Fargo, Lessons In Chemistry, Ripley, and True Detective: Night Country.
Gadd was nominated for lead actor in a limited series, while he was also recognized in the equivalent writing category.