Richard Gadd denies that Fiona Harvey was the inspiration for Baby Reindeer

Baby Reindeer writer and actor Richard Gadd has spoken out since Fiona Harvey (the 'real Martha') filed a lawsuit.

Harvey previously sat down with Piers Morgan, and denied any wrongdoing against Gadd following the release of the Netflix hit. Baby Reindeer soon became one of the platform's most-watched series, and was hailed a "brutally honest masterpiece about two very broken individuals."

The show follows a character and his experience of stalking and harassment after meeting a woman named Martha Scott who he met while working at a Camden pub. Netflix depicted the seven-part series as being inspired by a true story.

On 6 June, Harvey filed a $50m (£39m) lawsuit with accusations of defamation and emotional distress.

Although Gadd isn't explicitly named in the lawsuit, he has now filed a response against Harvey's claim in a declaration on 28 July.

"I am a comedian, writer, and actor. I created, wrote, and starred in the Netflix series Baby Reindeer (the ‘Series’)," he wrote in the 21-page document.

"I have personal knowledge of the facts set forth below and, if called as a witness, could and would testify competently thereto. I submit this declaration in support of defendants Netflix, Inc., and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment, LLC’s special motion to strike."

He recalled his alleged experience, writing: "Overall, it was an incredibly stressful and worrying time, with a sustained period of relentless behaviour taking place over several years."

"It is impossible to be exhaustive in setting out all of Harvey’s conduct, as there were so many instances of unwelcome personal interaction and attempts to engage, as well as deeply troubling communication."

Gadd went on to reference Harvey's viral appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

"I was surprised that Harvey appeared on Piers Morgan Uncensored. Though I have only watched certain segments, I understand she claimed that she was the inspiration for the Martha character and that she never sent me thousands of emails nor left me any voicemails."

He offered "a microcosm of the sheer scale of her targeted harassment," and denied that Scott’s character was entirely based on Harvey.

"I never intended the Series to identify any real person as Martha Scott, including Harvey," he continued in the document, with some partially blacked out.

"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 added that in 2016, he "obtained a First Instance Harassment Warning against Harvey."

Netflix previously commented on Harvey's lawsuit with a spokesperson stating: "We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story."

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