The woman who allegedly inspired Netflix’s hit series Baby Reindeer should be owed an apology from the streaming service , a consultant to Ofcom has claimed. Fiona Harvey, 58, was quickly tracked down by internet sleuths after the show – which is based around an aspiring comedian’s experience with a stalker – said it was based on a true story. Ms Harvey is now suing Netflix for $170m (£132m) over the series written by comedian Richard Gadd , 35.
Consultant to Ofcom, Duane Dedman, told the Royal Television Society (RTS) last week: “On Baby Reindeer, the short answer is I have no idea how Netflix can justify saying this is a true story and then at the end of the end credits say something like, some scenes were fictionalised and the characters conflated. “That’s obviously seen as contradictory and we shall see if the court case in America ever goes to trial or whether they settle out of court.” While Ms Harvey told the media she believed she was the inspiration for the character, she took umbrage with several details in the show, including the claim that she had been to prison when she had not.
The show seemed to suggest that she sexually assaulted Mr Gadd, which she also says is untrue. The character of Martha also appeared to share several qualities with Ms Harvey, including the fact she was Scottish, a reported lawyer, and notably older than Mr Gadd’s character. Ms Harvey, originally from Fyvie in Aberdeenshire, also frequented a London pub where Mr Gadd us.