Netflix admits Baby Reinder's real-life Martha was not convicted of stalking Richard Gadd as lawyers gear up for $170m defamation fight

Netflix has admitted Baby Reindeer's real-life stalker was ne'er convicted, arsenic Richard Gadd's lawyers cogwheel up for a $170million defamation fight. 

The streaming reportedly conceded that Martha Scott - who was quickly identified arsenic Scottish lawyer Fiona Harvey successful nan 'true story' bid - was only handed a tribunal bid complete her interactions pinch nan comedian. 

It comes aft nan Crown Prosecution Service antecedently told MailOnline Harvey was recovered not blameworthy of 1 count nonstop by nationalist connection web an offensive, indecent, obscene, menacing message, matter. 

The admittance from Netflix, who billed nan play arsenic being based on Gadd's existent experience, came successful a missive to British Parliament's Culture, Media and Sport Committee. 

Addressing Parliament successful May, Netflix's UK head of elder nationalist argumentation told MPs nan show was 'a existent communicative of nan horrific maltreatment that nan writer and protagonist Richard Gadd suffered astatine nan hands of a convicted stalker'.

Yet successful a missive sent six days later to Dame Caroline Dinenage - nan past chair of culture, media and athletics -  Mr King clarified his position, admitting Harvey had not been convicted.

The note, first reported by Deadline, Mr King said: 'I wanted to explain our knowing that nan personification connected whom nan show is based - who we person astatine nary constituent sought to place - was taxable to a tribunal bid alternatively than a conviction.' 

He added: 'The writer of Baby Reindeer endured superior harassment complete galore months (as it now seems has been nan lawsuit for galore others), which had a important effect connected his wellbeing.'

It comes arsenic Gadd revenge a 21-page declaration to a Californian tribunal connected Monday, claiming he was 'harassed and stalked' by Harvey for 'several years'.

Harvey revenge a defamation suit astatine nan Los Angeles national tribunal successful June claiming that nan bid depicted her arsenic 'a doubly convicted stalker who was sentenced to 5 years successful prison.' 

She claimed that Baby Reindeer's billing that nan bid was a 'true story' was 'the biggest dishonesty successful tv history'. 

In nan documents Gadd alleges that Harvey sent him 'thousands' of messages that 'often included sexually explicit, violent, and derogatory content, hateful speech, and threats

Gadd's declaration was revenge successful support of Netflix's mobility to disregard Harvey's defamation suit, which it says is simply a 'baseless attack' connected nan company's state of speech. 

The institution further argues that nan bid does not place Harvey arsenic an alleged abuser and is simply a 'substantially true' depiction of her alleged actions. 

Harvey, a Scot surviving successful England, revenge a suit successful national tribunal successful Los Angeles past period alleging she was defamed complete her portrayal arsenic a stalker successful nan deed mini-series.

She besides alleged that nan streaming elephantine was negligent, intentionally subjected her to affectional distress and violated her correct to privacy.

Gadd successful his declaration submitted successful national tribunal connected Monday claimed that Harvey 'harassed and stalked maine complete respective years' and, according to nan filing, which was obtained from nan tribunal by nan Mail.

'Overall, it was an incredibly stressful and worrying time, pinch a sustained play of relentless behaviour taking spot complete respective years,' he wrote successful nan tribunal documents.

'It is intolerable to beryllium exhaustive successful mounting retired each of Harvey's conduct, arsenic location were truthful galore instances of unwelcome individual relationship and attempts to engage, arsenic good arsenic profoundly troubling communication.'

Gadd alleged that Harvey 'sent maine thousands of emails, hundreds of voicemails, and a number of handwritten letters' which he claims 'often included sexually explicit, violent, and derogatory content, hateful speech, and threats', nan filing states.

He accused her of monitoring his societal media accounts, specifically his floor plan connected Twitter, now called X, and sending him emails to remark connected nan photos he posted, nan declaration revealed.

Citing a connection from January 2015, Gadd wrote successful nan document: 'Harvey sent maine an email pinch nan taxable statement 'yummy mummy,' which stated 'I spot your mum is connected twitter . . . I looked up yours to spot what was going connected successful your caput and you retweeted her'.'

The actor, citing different alleged lawsuit of societal media monitoring, added that 'on September 17, 2016, Harvey emailed maine 'I emotion nan photograph of you sleeping connected twitter'.'

He further claimed that she admitted to being a 'racist' successful an email and would 'frequently' usage 'hateful reside and derogatory racist and homophobic language' successful her correspondences, nan tribunal documents revealed.

Gadd, successful an effort to connection 'a microcosm of nan sheer standard of her targeted harassment', besides accused Harvey of putting herself successful nan spotlight by aforesaid identifying arsenic nan female who inspired Martha successful nan series.

'I ne'er intended nan bid to place immoderate existent personification arsenic Martha Scott, including Harvey,' he wrote nan documents.

'Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey. Like each characters successful nan series, Martha is simply a fictional characteristic pinch fictional characteristic traits that are very different than Harvey's.'

Baby Reindeer premiered connected Netflix successful April, and Harvey publically came guardant and gave an question and reply to Morgan astir a period later. 

Mr Gadd continued: 'I was amazed that Harvey appeared connected Piers Morgan Uncensored. 

'Though I person only watched definite segments, I understand she claimed that she was nan inspiration for nan Martha character, and that she ne'er sent maine thousands of emails nor near maine immoderate voicemails.

'She harassed and stalked maine complete respective years, and since her interview, different individuals person contacted maine done my agents and publicists and said they were besides harassed by Harvey, but each were excessively frightened of her to travel forward.'

Gadd based on successful nan filing that if 'called arsenic a witness, could and would testify' to nan allegations elaborate successful his declaration.

He besides claimed that successful 2016 he 'obtained a First Instance Harassment Warning against Harvey' from constabulary successful nan UK, nan tribunal documents revealed.

Harassment warnings are notices fixed to an alleged abuser that a title has been made against them and pass them that constabulary action could beryllium taken if location are akin reports successful nan future.

Netflix besides revenge its mobility dismissing nan lawsuit connected Monday, slamming Harvey.

Netflix said nan suit was a 'baseless onslaught connected Netflix's workout of free speech' and barred by California's anti-Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation ('anti-SLAPP') statute, which is designed to extremity frivolous lawsuits. 

Netflix said that 'any reasonable viewer' would reason that nan bid is 'not a actual documentary representing virtually existent specifications and imagery'.

It went connected to usage Harvey's ain words against her successful an question and reply pinch Morgan erstwhile she noted: 'Martha cannot beryllium maine . . . [she] is simply a fictional character'.

Netflix says: 'Harvey is correct: nary reasonable spectator could understand nan Series to make immoderate statements of fact, fto unsocial a connection specifically astir Harvey.'

Gadd, successful his declaration, echoed Netflix's claim, stating Baby Reindeer is 'not a documentary representing virtually existent specifications and imagery'. 

Baby Reindeer premiered connected Netflix successful April, and Harvey publically came guardant and gave an question and reply to Morgan astir a period later. 

But her suit says viewers and British media outlets had identified her good earlier that, and they person tormented her perpetually since. 

The suit besides alleges that Harvey bears an 'uncanny resemblance' to Martha - played by character Jessica Gunning - saying her 'accent, mode of speaking and cadence' are 'indistinguishable'.

Harvey is seeking each profits from 'Baby Reindeer' and asks that punitive and different damages beryllium awarded that would full astatine slightest $170million. 

Earlier this month, Baby Reindeer scooped up 11 of nan 2024 Emmy nominations, dominating nan awards ceremony.