David Bridges
The alleged real-life Martha Scott from Child Reindeer, Fiona Harvey, has filed a lawsuit in opposition to Netflix. In new court docket data, Harvey claimed that the way in which she was portrayed by actress Jessica Gunning was inaccurate and that collection lead Richard Gadd‘s story is a “lie.”
In response to court docket paperwork obtained by PEOPLE on Thursday, June 6, Harvey is suing the streaming platform for greater than $170 million. The lawsuit claimed that the assertion made in episode 1, “It is a true story,” is “the most important lie in tv historical past.”
“It’s a lie informed by Netflix and the present’s creator, Richard Gadd, out of greed and lust for fame; a lie designed to draw extra viewers, get extra consideration, to earn more money, and to viciously destroy the lifetime of Plaintiff, Fiona Harvey – an harmless lady defamed by Netflix and Richard Gadd at a magnitude and scale with out precedent,” the court docket paperwork learn, in keeping with the outlet.
Moreover, the lawsuit claimed that Netflix “did actually nothing to verify the ‘true story’ that Gadd informed. That’s, it by no means investigated whether or not Harvey was convicted, a really critical misrepresentation of the info. It did nothing to grasp the connection between Gadd and Harvey, if any. It did nothing to find out whether or not different info, together with an assault, the alleged stalking or the conviction was correct.”
In response to the lawsuit, a rep for Netflix offered an announcement to PEOPLE, saying, “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to face by Richard Gadd’s proper to inform his story.”
Final month, Harvey spoke out concerning the present throughout an interview with Piers Morgan, calling the collection — which was awarded greatest Breakthrough Restricted Collection on the 2024 Gotham TV Awards — “obscene.”
“I discover it horrifying, misogynistic,” Harvey stated. “Folks [are] phoning me up. It’s been completely horrendous. I wouldn’t give credence to one thing like that, and it’s probably not my sort of drama.”
Child Reindeer depicts Gadd’s character, Donny Dunn, a struggling comic in London, being stalked and harassed by a girl named Martha Scott. All through the miniseries, viewers see Gunn’s Martha verbally and bodily assault Donny and his girlfriend. She additionally sexually assaults him in a single scene.
In the event you or anybody you recognize has been sexually abused, name the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). A skilled employees member will present confidential, judgment-free assist in addition to native sources to help in therapeutic, recovering and extra.
Tessa Everly
Cameron Steel
