Baby Reindeer: The Netflix stalking drama that gripped the nation

Netflix stalking drama Baby Reindeer has been on a winning streak since it premiered last year, but the dark comedy has also faced controversy for its “true story” claims.

The streaming platform is currently battling a 170 million dollar (£128 million) defamation lawsuit from a woman who claims to be the inspiration behind a character called Martha.

The programme, which is nominated in several categories at this year’s Bafta TV Awards, follows Richard Gadd’s character, Donny, who is stalked by Jessica Gunning’s Martha after he serves her a free cup of tea in the pub where he works.

The show’s opening sequence included the words “this is a true story”, which prompted speculation about the identities of the people who inspired the characters.

A woman called Fiona Harvey later claimed she was the inspiration behind Martha and filed a lawsuit against the streaming platform.

She said that the story was inaccurate, and accused Netflix of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence and violations of her right of publicity.

Before the lawsuit, Netflix senior director of global affairs Benjamin King told MPs in a letter that “the person on whom the show is based” was actually “subject to a court order rather than a conviction”, after first telling the Culture, Media and Sport (CMS) Committee that the series details “the horrific abuse that the writer and protagonist Gadd suffered at the hands of a convicted stalker”.

Mr King also told MPs: “The writer of Baby Reindeer endured serious harassment over many months (as it now seems has been the case for many others), which had a significant impact on his wellbeing.”

The streamer said that every episode includes a warning saying: “This programme is based on real events: however, certain characters, names, incidents, locations and dialogue have been fictionalised for dramatic purposes.”

Gadd’s show won big at the Emmys last year, taking home several prizes, including one gong for Gunning for best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series.

The 35-year-old comedian also collected prizes at the Gotham TV Awards, Television Critics Association Awards and the Astra TV Awards.

Last month, he picked up the best writer/drama prize at the Bafta TV Craft Awards, which celebrates the talent of people behind the scenes of television.

Gunning, 39, has picked up a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award in the US as well as awards from the Royal Television Society (RTS) Programme Awards and Broadcasting Press Guild (BPG) Awards.

Actress Nava Mau, who plays Donny’s love interest Teri, had been nominated for an Emmy, but lost out to Gunning.

She did, however, win a best supporting gong at the 2025 Film Independent Spirit Awards.

Mau, Gunning and Gadd are all nominated for their roles at this year’s Bafta TV Awards, being held at Royal Festival Hall on Sunday.

Gadd’s drama had originally been an Edinburgh Fringe production before becoming a global sensation on Netflix.

In 2016 the Fife comedian took home the Edinburgh Comedy Awards best comedy show prize, which goes to the stand-out Edinburgh Festival Fringe act, with Monkey See Monkey Do.

He was the first Scot to be nominated for the prestigious prize in 23 years.

He also appeared in E4 comedy science fiction Tripped in 2015 alongside The Inbetweeners actor Blake Harrison, and won an Olivier Award for outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre for Baby Reindeer in 2020.

Last year, the BBC announced that Gadd would executive produce and star in a new drama series called Half Man, about two estranged brothers, airing on BBC One and BBC Scotland.

Earlier in the month he was named the most influential person in TV in the Radio Times TV 100 list.