Baby Reindeer’s Real-Life Martha Speaks Out, Calls Netflix Series ‘Obscene’ & Will Sue

The real-life Martha Scott portrayed in the Netflix hit series Baby Reindeer by Jessica Gunning has called the show an “obscene” and “derogatory” work of fiction, and says she’s instructed her attorneys to file a lawsuit against the streamer. Scottish lawyer Fiona Harvey sat down for an interview with Piers Morgan on May 9, 2024, claiming she had been “forced” into telling her side of the story after internet sleuths had uncovered her identity shortly after the series premiered on April 11, 2024. Since that time, Harvey claims she has received numerous death threats, and was never alerted by Netflix ahead of Baby Reindeer’s debut.

In the interview seen on Morgan’s YouTube channel, Piers Morgan Uncensored, Harvey told him that the series is a “work of hyperbole,” saying she finds the whole thing “quite obscene.” The 58-year-old touched on the death threats she’s received, calling the entire situation “absolutely horrendous.”

“I find it quite obscene. I find it horrifying, misogynistic Some of the death threats have been really terrible online. People phoning me up. You know, it’s been absolutely horrendous.”

Baby Reindeer is purportedly based on the real experiences of comedian Richard Gadd, and deals with the suffering he went through at the hands of an alleged stalker over the span of six years. While those online were quick to identify Fiona Harvey as the stalker in question, Netflix said ahead of the interview that they took “every reasonable precaution” to protect the real identities of the characters in the dramatic series.

Fiona Harvey Claims Richard Gadd is ‘Completely Off His Head’

Baby Reindeer (2024)

4.5/5

A seemingly innocent interaction with a customer turns into a chaotic journey as the life of aspiring comedian Donny spirals out of control and brings up the past. 

Release Date

April 11, 2024

Cast

Richard Gadd , Jessica Gunning , Danny Kirrane , Nava Mau

Seasons

1

In Baby Reindeer, the distraught character of Martha meets comedian Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd) in a pub in London where he works as a bartender. After he gives her a free cup of tea, the pair strike up a conversation, with Martha claiming she is a wealthy lawyer. Their encounters turn flirtatious on Martha’s part, leading to 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 106 pages of letters, and 350 hours of voicemails as her behavior only escalates throughout the series to dangerous levels of concern.

Despite claims that the series is based on a true story, Harvey says she never left Gadd voicemails, and claims that she may have been illegally recorded during their encounters in the pub, as she doesn’t deny having met the comedian in such a manner. However, according to her, she had only seen him “five or six times” in her entire life, and the few emails she did admit to sending him were “jokey banter emails.”

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At the end of the series, Martha is finally reported to the police for making death threats against Donny’s parents, arrested, and sentenced to nine months in prison. When asked by Morgan if she’d ever been arrested, or even if she has a criminal record, Harvey responded, “No,” both times. She also claims she never assaulted Gadd’s ex-girlfriend, and neither did she sexually assault him on a canal path, both of which are depicted in the Netflix show.

Though she has yet to watch Baby Reindeer, Harvey would go on to say in the interview that Richard Gadd is “completely off his head,” and questioned his mental stability, a claim that was also brought forth by transgender actress Reece Lyons, whom Gadd encountered before the formal casting process for the series began. According to Lyons, Gadd exhibited signs of Cluster B behavior during their brief time together, which include disorders that are “marked by inappropriate, volatile emotionality and often unpredictable behavior,” according to Psychology Today.

‘Leave Me Alone,’ Says Fiona Harvey

There is a lot to unpack in the hour-long interview between Piers Morgan and Fiona Harvey, but in the end her message is simple: she wants Richard Gadd to leave her alone. She says she is “horrified” by the creation of Baby Reindeer, and urges the comedian to “get a real job.”

“Leave me alone, please. Get a life, get a proper job. I am horrified at what you’ve done.”

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Harvey says she will definitely be taking legal action against Netflix, as well as Gadd, the Daily Mail, and anyone else who is saying Baby Reindeer is real, and harassing her. When asked if she’d instructed her lawyers on how to move forward, Harvey responded:

“We’ve instructed them in part, but we want to explore all the options that are out there. There are a number of people to sue.”