Baby Reindeer's real life Martha vows to sue Richard Gadd over use of her backstory

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Fiona Harvey has revealed she plans to sue Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd personally over his use of her tweets and backstory in the hit series.

In an exclusive interview with The Record, Harvey, 59, admitted she has drawn up battle plans with US lawyers to secure damages from Gadd, who has enjoyed global fame after Baby Reindeer became a smash hit on Netflix. Scot Fiona was identified by online sleuths as the inspiration for stalker “Martha” in the hit show, branded as a “true story”.

But she denies stalking Gadd and is suing Netflix for $230 million for making her life “hell”. Now she has revealed plans to sue Gadd personally for his role in the affair.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday night's GQ awards, at which Gadd will be hailed as Man of the Year, Harvey told the Record: “Man of the year, for what?

“Instead of winning a Man of the Year I should be woman of the year - and I will be when I win this case. Gadd deserves to be sued because I am a very professional person and I don’t take too kindly to people slagging me off continually.”

Referring to actress Jessica Gunning, she added: “Their emissaries are slagging me off. Netflix is slagging me off. Of course they’re all going to get sued in the end.”

Last night, Harvey’s lawyer, Richard Roth of US firm Roth Law, confirmed plans to sue Gadd personally after the case against the streaming channel concludes.

If the judge awards damages to Harvey, “the sky’s the limit,” Roth said. “If we win the case it is possible to sue Richard,” he added. “We have a master plan and this is not something for the immediate future.

“We have to deal with the appeal and get ready for what will be a trial. But it is certainly one of our options – and we are always considering all of our options.

“We are talking about hundreds of millions of pounds. We are very very very confident and the judge has confirmed the strength of our case. While you have a guy winning accolades you have Fiona sitting in her apartment receiving death threats. It is totally unfair and distasteful.”

Netflix is appealing US judge Gary Klausner’s decision to allow Harvey’s court case against them to go ahead in April 2025. Harvey, from Fyvie, Aberdeenshire, first identified herself in the Daily Record as the inspiration behind the stalker “Martha” played by Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer.

She disputes Gadd’s version of events, described in the show as “a true story”. If the lawsuit goes ahead, she is likely to claim that Gadd used her likeness and backstory as well as tweets without permission.

Gadd was snubbed at Sunday’s BAFTA Scotland awards. He left empty-handed despite three nominations and refused to speak with reporters while in Glasgow. The 35-year-old, from Wormit in Fife, did however pose for photographs in the winners enclosure.

He has already won Emmy awards and is due at the GQ awards on Tuesday night where he’ll receive a Man of the Year award.

Last night, Roth told the Record: “It is further evidence that Netflix and Gadd simply do not care about Ms. Harvey. Their receipt of these recognitions continue to trample on her as she is grossly, unfairly and wrongfully portrayed in the series and remains the victim of this saga.”

He added: “Netflix filed close to 100 papers saying the case should be thrown out and the judge said ‘no’. We have a fabulous case and the federal court judge seems to agree with me.”

Netflix is accused of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the seven-part series Martha is convicted of stalking and sent to prison twice. Harvey has never been convicted of any crime in real life.

Roth says nothing was done to disguise Harvey’s identity in the show. He said: “The woman who plays her, Jessica Gunning, sounds like her, looks like her, acts like her, dresses like her, has a strong Scottish accent and is a lawyer like her. It took a nanosecond for people to find out who it was.”

Baby Reindeer has been a worldwide commercial and critical success, garnering 65 million viewers since it first streamed in April. Netflix has said it will stand by Gadd’s right to tell his story and that most viewers would understand the claims made in Baby Reindeer to be “not factual” because it was shot in the style of a drama.

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The streaming giant also says the similarities between the real and fictionalised people were so broad that average viewers would not have been able to identify Ms Harvey as Martha.

Last night, an insider said: “Fiona is unable to lead a normal life as a result of this but that aside she wants to take Gadd to the cleaners next and she is certain she will win her case against Netflix.”

Gadd and Netflix were approached for comment.

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