Everyone was talking about this series. “Reindeer” turned out to be the surprise of the year. An innocent poster, trailer and little promotion of the title lulled the viewers’ attention. The true story about a stalker by Richard Gadd promised to be an unoriginal production that might not downplay the problem, but would talk about the persecution of the main character of the story in a conservative and safe way.
The “real Martha” from “Reindeer” sued Netflix, demanding $170 million
However, there are many more dark and moving details in the series. “‘Reindeer’ is a phenomenal study of trauma and an important perspective of a man who, fighting for his dreams and position in a patriarchal world, did not find space within himself to take care of his fear and doubts. Instead, he covered his complexes and shame with another layer of appearances, which ended in his a personal tragedy,” I wrote in my review of the production.
The creators made every effort to ensure that the series was not filled with moralizing overtones. Here, no one justifies the heroes’ actions, but instead of judging, he looks for their source. He fights stereotypes, prejudices and points out to society the cost that each of us may incur when we try to force ourselves into the framework established by who knows who and who knows why. Unfortunately, the fact that “Reindeer” does not clearly identify the culprits has escaped some people.
After the series premiere, viewers started looking for their real heroes. Of course, the greatest interest was aroused by the series stalker Martha. Soon, the woman claiming to be the real Martha, Fiona Harvey, began to take advantage of her popularity. She gave interviews and began to question the content of “Reindeer”.
In an interview with Piers Morgan, the woman emphasized that she had not sent Gadd 41,000 emails and hundreds of voicemails and 106 letters. “Maybe there were a few e-mails and banter, that’s all,” she noted. Now she has decided to sue Netflix.
The heroine of the Netflix series demands compensation: Her life was ruined
Fiona Harvey filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in California. The woman accuses Netflix of defamation, intentionally causing emotional distress, gross negligence and violating the rights to use her image. Harvey demands a huge compensation of $170 million from Netflix.
The document accusing the “real Martha” reads: The defendants told lies about Harvey. 50 million people around the world heard that she was a twice-convicted stalker with a five-year prison sentence. Additionally, there is a sexual assault on Gadd. The defendants chose lies because this version of events sold better. They made money on lies.
“Netflix did literally nothing to authenticate this ‘true story’ told by Gadd. It never investigated whether Harvey was actually convicted, which misleads viewers and distorts the facts. This did nothing to help understand the relationship between Gadd and “Harvey, if there ever was one. As a result of defendants’ numerous lies, abuses and reckless conduct, Harvey’s life was ruined. Netflix and Gadd simply destroyed her reputation,” the lawsuit says.
A Netflix spokesman said in an interview with The Guardian that he intends to vigorously defend this case and protect Richard Gadd’s rights “to tell his story.”
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
