Fiona Harvey, the supposed Martha from Baby Reindeer, gives her first exclusive interview for British TV

Fiona Harvey, who claims to be the real-life “Martha,” a character from the series Baby Reindeer (Baby reindeer), gave an interview last Thursday (9), in which he called Richard Gadd, creator and protagonist of the series, of “psychopath and misogynist”. Harvey denies that Gadd's portrayal of “Martha” is accurate and claims that he is obsessed with her.

History of the series

Based on a suspicious but true story according to streaming, and on the play by Richard Gadd, released in 2019 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Baby Reindeer follows the trajectory of comedian Donny Dunn (played by Richard Gadd), who becomes involved with Martha (Jessica Gunning), a vulnerable woman facing psychological problems. This quick and twisted relationship evolves into a disturbing obsession that impacts both of their lives, forcing Donny to confront a deep, dark trauma from his past.

When Baby Reindeer premiered on Netflix, quickly became a success, and internet users soon began looking for who the woman who inspired the character Martha was. After the repercussion, Fiona Harvey spoke to the newspaper Scottish Sun, criticizing the choice of the actress who played her.

As viewers began to speculate about the true characters behind the series, Gadd posted a message on his story on Instagram, asking people not to speculate.

That's not the point of our program.

Richard Gadd on his Instagram story

Netflix policy chief Benjamin King told UK lawmakers during a parliamentary hearing focused on British film and television that the platform had taken “all reasonable precautions” to disguise the identity of the people who inspired the work of Netflix. Gadd.

We didn't want to make it anonymous or generic to the point where it wasn't his story anymore, as that would undermine the intent of the show. Ultimately, it's obviously very difficult to control what viewers do, particularly in a world where everything is amplified by social media. Personally, I wouldn't feel comfortable in a world where we decided it was best to silence Richard and not allow him to tell the story.

Benjamin King, head of policy at Netflix

Who is Fiona Harvey

Fiona Harvey, a 58-year-old lawyer, claims to be the woman who inspired the series' antagonist. In an unprecedented interview with the journalist Piers Morgan, in the program uncensored, Harvey shared his version of events, claiming that the series is “full of lies”.

I agreed to this interview because I thought you would listen to me fairly.

Fiona Harvey in an interview with presenter Piers Morgan

She also stated that she did not watch the series, but found out about the production and that the story was associated with her through the newspaper Daily Mail. It was then that she went to the newspaper to tell her version.

I didn't watch anything, I think it would look bad. I'm scared to look for the news. When I found out, I didn't think things would get so serious.

Fiona Harvey

Baby Reindeer, a hit for the streaming giant, left many people fascinated, disturbed and curious. Harvey denied the veracity of key scenes in the series, including one in which the character Martha is depicted sexually assaulting Gadd in the middle of the street and attacking her partner. She also denied harassing Gadd's family or showing up at his house.

I'm not a stalker.

Fiona Harvey

In the series finale, Martha is seen pleading guilty to stalking Gadd and is sentenced to nine months in prison. However, Harvey insisted that she was never accused of any wrongdoing, let alone arrested.

This is completely false, very, very defamatory to me, very damaging to my career.

Fiona Harvey

Main moments of the interview

Fiona Harvey gave an unprecedented interview on British TV after being identified online by viewers trying to find out who inspired Martha, describing the experience as “absolutely horrible”. She also accused Richard Gadd to make money from her suffering and declared his intention to sue him, along with Netflix, for defamation.

The main moments of Harvey's interview with journalist Piers Morgan were marked by blunt allegations, incisive questions and emotional reactions. She stated that the series is “a work of fiction” and that Richard Gadd and Netflix are “lying” by presenting it as a true story. In addition to suing Gadd and Netflix, Harvey stated that she would also sue the newspaper Daily Mail.

In the interview, Morgan questioned Harvey several times about how many emails, phone calls and letters she sent to Gadd. The comedian claimed that his stalker sent more than 41.071 emails, 350 hours of voicemails, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages and 106 pages of letters. Harvey told Morgan that “there may have been a few emails” and later claimed he sent “less than 10” emails.

Morgan also questioned Harvey about the fact that she used six email addresses and pressed her about the grade she got in her law degree. Harvey said she was “absolutely horrified” by the experience of being identified as the real “Martha.” She criticized the series for portraying scenes that she categorically denies, such as the alleged sexual harassment and assault of Gadd. The lawyer insisted that she was never accused of any wrongdoing and that she was never arrested, calling the accusations “completely false and very damaging to her career.”

Morgan's interview with Harvey received mixed reactions from critics. Stuart Heritage, from The Guardian, described the interview as “reeking of sordid exploitation”. Ryan Coogan, on Independent, stated that “you cannot expect sensitivity” from Morgan, but that “the real problem is that there is a market for it”. Ed Power, from The Telegraph, considered the conversation a “tedious question and answer session”.

Harvey told Daily Record that she was not “satisfied” with the interview and that she received £250 (around R$1,611) to participate in the program.

Fiona Harvey's interview with Piers Morgan revealed a conflicting view of the narrative of Baby Reindeer. While Harvey attempted to debunk the image presented in the series, critics questioned the intention and tone of the interview, highlighting the sensationalist nature of the program.

Richard Gadd and Netflix have not commented so far, but in several interviews, including a recent one with The Hollywood Reporter, Gadd stated that he “tried not to lie too much” and that it was challenging to find the balance between fiction and the story he wanted to tell, based on his personal experiences.

See also:

Sources: Piers Morgan Uncensored, BBC, Rolling Stones

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim