"I am the stalker? Defamation response"… 200 billion won lawsuit against Netflix

Stalking Lawsuit by Female Model of 'Baby Reindeer'

A woman who served as the model for a stalker character in the Netflix original drama 'Baby Reindeer' has filed a lawsuit seeking $170 million (approximately 230 billion KRW) in damages.

Netflix drama 'Baby Reindeer' [Netflix trailer screenshot]

According to AP News and the British daily The Guardian, Fiona Harvey, a Scottish lawyer living in the UK, filed the lawsuit against Netflix on the 6th (local time) at the United States Central District Court of California.

Harvey claimed that Netflix defamed her and intentionally caused her emotional distress while producing the drama, and infringed on her publicity rights (the right to commercially use the economic value of one's name, face, etc.).

The drama 'Baby Reindeer' was directed, written, and starred by Richard Gadd, a Scottish writer and actor, based on his past experience as a stalking victim. It tells the story of a female stalker obsessed with a man she met by chance. In the drama, the female stalker sends tens of thousands of emails and hundreds of tweets to the man, commits bizarre acts such as hitting his head with a bottle, and eventually goes to prison.

Harvey publicly revealed in April, when the drama was released, that she was the person who 'inspired' the work. However, she insisted that she is not a stalker and never sent 41,000 emails, hundreds of voice messages, or 106 letters as depicted in the drama.

Harvey's side stated in the lawsuit, "The defendants lied to more than 50 million people worldwide about Harvey, including that she is a stalker sentenced to five years in prison after two convictions and that she sexually assaulted Gadd." They added, "Netflix, a multinational entertainment streaming company worth billions of dollars, did not verify whether Gadd's story was 'true,' and Netflix and Gadd destroyed her reputation, character, and life."

Netflix logo. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Harvey is demanding at least $50 million (approximately 68.4 billion KRW) for actual damages, at least $50 million for emotional distress and business losses, at least $50 million related to all profits generated by the drama, and $20 million (approximately 27.4 billion KRW) in punitive damages.

A Netflix spokesperson told The Guardian in an interview, "We will vigorously defend this matter and protect Gadd's right to tell his story." Gadd said in an interview last April, "I twisted the story slightly to create a dramatic climax," but added, "Emotionally, it is true. I suffered serious stalking and abuse."

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that 'Baby Reindeer' attracted 60 million viewers in its first month of release and is expected to become one of Netflix's top 10 all-time works.