Brooke Kato
Nobody puts “Baby” in a corner.
A woman who claims to have inspired the unhinged lead character in the new Netflix series “Baby Reindeer” says she is considering suing the streamer for defamation.
In a new interview, the unnamed lady also hit out at the show’s creator Richard Gadd, saying viewers have uncovered her identity and subjected her to death threats.
“Baby Reindeer,” which Gadd says is based on events in his actual life, revolves around a stalker named “Martha” who obsessively sends him more than 41,000 emails, 744 tweets and 100 pages of letters over the course of several years.
But the real-life Martha insists that Gadd is actually the one obsessed with her.
“He’s using ‘Baby Reindeer’ to stalk me now,” she told the Daily Mail on Saturday, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “I’m the victim. He’s written a bloody show about me.”
She added that Gadd was guilty of “bullying an older woman on television for fame and fortune.”
“Baby Reindeer” has become an instant phenomenon on Netflix, rocketing to No. 1 on the streaming service in 30 countries, including the US.
Gadd has claimed he “disguised” the person who inspired Martha’s character so well that he doesn’t think she would “recognize” herself — but amateur internet sleuths have attempted to deduce her identity despite his pleas to stop.
“People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation,” Gadd wrote on his Instagram story this week.
“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.”
Daily Mail, however, pointed to other parallels between Martha and the unnamed woman, specifically her alleged history of harassment.
While Daily Mail decided not the name the woman who inspired the Martha character, The Sun reported her to be 58-year-old Fiona Harvey, nee Miur.
They claimed Harvey previously harassed a British politician and his spouse, identified as ex-First Minister Jimmy Wray and his wife, Laura.
Harvey, however, denied that she inspired Martha’s character and told The Scottish Sun that she has “a claim against Netflix” for billing the series as “a true story.”
“There’s a fat actress that’s supposed to be me,” Harvey told The Scottish Sun, claiming she will represent herself in legal action against Netflix and vowed to “kick their asses.”
On Facebook, Harvey reiterated that she is “not Martha,” and claimed she is being “attacked” online by viewers of the show who believe she inspired the character.
According to The Daily Mail, Martha’s character and the woman they interviewed — but did not identify — both studied law, are around the same age and use sexual language when contacting Gadd.
“She sort of looks like me after I put on four stone during lockdown but I’m not actually unattractive,” the anonymous woman told Daily Mail, referring to the actress’ appearance in the show.
In the Netflix series, Gadd also comments on Martha’s complexion and moisturizer, and makes a sexually charged joke at her expense.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the woman referenced the joke about him hanging her “curtains,” a euphemism for sex.
“He said, ‘Can I fix your curtains?’ That’s a euphemism for saying I want to sleep with you,” the woman explained to Daily Mail, recalling her run-ins with Gadd at the popular Camden pub, the Hawley Arms.
There are, however, discrepancies in the show, the woman alleged — namely, she would have never called Gadd “baby reindeer,” a moniker purportedly inspired by a childhood plushy.
“I’ve never owned a toy baby reindeer and I wouldn’t have had any conversation with Richard Gadd about a childhood toy either,” the unnamed woman claimed.
She is now considering legal action against Gadd, who she says “has got ‘main character syndrome.’”
“He always thinks he’s at the center of things,” she continued. “I’m not writing shows about him or promoting them in the media, am I? If he wanted me to be properly anonymous, he could have done so. Gadd should leave me alone.”
This post was originally posted by NYPost
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings