Richard Gadd, creator and star of Netflix’s acclaimed series Baby Reindeer, has come forward to support the streaming giant's bid to dismiss the $170 million defamation lawsuit filed by Fiona Harvey.
Although Gadd is not a named defendant, his recent court declaration defends Netflix against Harvey's claims.
“I am a comedian, writer, and actor. I created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer (the ‘Series’),” Gadd states in his July 28 declaration. He further asserts his readiness to testify in support of Netflix’s motion to strike.
Harvey, who publicly claimed on Piers Morgan’s UK chat show that she was the inspiration for the series' character Martha Scott, initiated the lawsuit on June 6.
This followed the series' global success and its subsequent 11 Emmy nominations. Netflix has vowed to "defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story."
In his declaration, Gadd describes the harassment he endured from Harvey, detailing numerous unwelcome interactions and attempts to contact him over several years. “Overall, it was an incredibly stressful and worrying time,” he says, noting the troubling nature of Harvey’s conduct.
He refutes Harvey’s claims that she was the inspiration for Martha Scott, emphasising that the character is entirely fictional. “Martha Scott is not Fiona Harvey. Like all characters in the Series, Martha is a fictional character with fictional personality traits that are very different than Harvey’s,” Gadd asserts.
Gadd’s declaration, which includes redacted exhibits, also touches on previous harassment warnings issued against Harvey. He does not, however, address Harvey's claim that the series portrays her as a convicted stalker.
The upcoming September 3 hearing before Judge R. Gary Klausner is expected to address these contentious issues.
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