‘Baby Reindeer’s Real-Life Martha Has Not Heard From Netflix As She Works With Senior UK Attorney To Build Lawsuit Against Streamer
16.05.2024 - 13:15
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Baby Reindeer‘s real-life Martha appears to be making good on her promise to sue Netflix, but has yet to hear from the streamer despite being identified against her wishes and claiming to have received death threats and unwanted attention.
Chris Daw KC, a barrister working with Fiona Harvey to build a lawsuit, told Deadline that Netflix had failed to contact her in any capacity after she was thrust into the media spotlight last month.
He said the series, which has amassed more than 65M views since premiering, raised serious questions about Netflix’s duty of care standards. He called for a “major review” of its compliance procedures.
Daw is assembling a team of lawyers in the UK and U.S. to pursue Netflix, producer Clerkenwell Films, and Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd, but has yet to be formally instructed by Harvey.
He believes that Harvey may have a case for defamation after Baby Reindeer was billed as a “true story” and featured her pleading guilty to stalking and being sentenced to prison.
Daw said he has yet to see evidence that Harvey has been convicted of stalking and harassment, adding that Netflix had failed to back up the claims made in Gadd’s hit series.
“Portraying someone as a convicted criminal who has done time in prison, when that is not true, is a pretty clearcut case of defamation, as it is bound to cause serious harm to that person’s reputation,” he said.
Daw added that Harvey may also have a claim for misuse of image rights. “There are strict laws on the use of a person’s image for commercial gain, particularly in the U.S., which do not seem to have been considered,” he said.
Daw declined to comment on how his legal work is being funded.
Netflix is not responding to inquiries