Emmy-winning miniseries Baby Reindeer may not live up to its “true story” tag, legally speaking. Rejecting Netflix’s request, a judge refused to dismiss a defamation lawsuit raised against the program. The true-life counterpart of the show’s antagonist will be allowed to proceed with her case to claim that the series has wrongfully misrepresented her.
Baby Reindeer Legally Not True
Richard Gadd’s Netflix show Baby Reindeer opens with the assurance that its viewers are about to witness a retelling of a “true story.” The degree to which this phrase – “true story” – can be stretched to fit over a fictionalized, dramatized, serialized tale has been in legal contention for months. Fiona Harvey, allegedly the real-life version of Baby Reindeer‘s Martha, sued for defamation due to her rabid onscreen depiction, as embodied by an electric Jessica Gunning. Netflix attempted to get the lawsuit dismissed, but the presiding judge ruled on Friday that Harvey will be allowed to continue pursuing legal action.
Gadd, who based Baby Reindeer on aspects of his life, claims that Harvey stalked him while he worked at a pub, noting that she would grope and otherwise regularly harass him. But Martha, while she pulls on a similar thread, ultimately resorts to great violence in the pursuit of her obsessive desires. Variety reports that the judge ultimately ruled in favor of Harvey when presented with this considerable discrepancy in behavior between the real events and their fictional exaggerations.
Adaptation That Led to Baby Reindeer
“There are major differences between inappropriate touching and sexual assault, as well as between shoving and gouging another’s eyes,” the judge asserted, considering that, as harmful as Harvey’s alleged treatment of Gadd was, the “true story” tag should not be applied to Baby Reindeer and its portrayal of Martha’s brutal behavior.
Indeed, Gadd himself has often noted that the facts of his life were a jumping-off point for the story, as he wanted to focus on presenting the feelings evoked by the stalking, reflecting them to the audience. “I always had to constantly check myself to be like, does this feel truthful to me and to my experience all the way through?” he explained on a panel for the Director’s Guild of America, after emphasizing that the “true story” aspect is not the point of the finished fictionalized series.
Ongoing Deal with Netflix
Legal issues aside, Netflix’s partnership with Gadd has been fruitful for the platform. Baby Reindeer earned 11 Emmy nominations, ultimately winning six. The series retained large viewership figures and attracted a vocal following online, leading to a hunt for the real Martha before Harvey was identified.
As a result of the show’s accomplishments, Netflix appears ready to nurture the financial success and cultural relevance that Gadd inspired as Baby Reindeer‘s star and creator. Now that he has signed a multi-year first-look deal with Netflix, viewers should expect his future projects to hit the streamer first.
Final Thoughts
Baby Reindeer tells a gripping tale all on its own. Gadd took autobiographical elements and heightened the material to enable a visceral connection with his audience. The “true story” tag concerns only marketing, and nothing of true consequence would be lost with its removal.
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