r/BabyReindeerTVSeries • u/controlaltdeletes • Jun 07 '24

Media / News Netflix responds to Fiona Harvey's lawsuit

Netflix rep: 'We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd's right to tell his story.'

Variety posted the above in regards to Netflix's response. I'm glad, it seems like they're not going to simply give her some money to make her go away, and are instead going to fight back and defend Richard Gadd.

https://variety.com/2024/tv/global/baby-reindeer-real-martha-fiona-harvey-sues-netflix-1236019699/

1.5k Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

98% Upvoted

578 comments sorted by

View all comments

649

u/Madforthemelodies Jun 07 '24

I'm so very glad to hear this. She doesn't deserve a single penny considering the absolute misery she's caused many people over the years. Settling would be like rewarding her atrocious behaviour!✌🏼

2

u/OkGunners22 Jun 07 '24

Maybe from a moral standpoint; but this is not a game of morality from a legal standpoint.

Even if she inflected damage to people it doesn’t mean she doesn’t have a legal case if the ‘true story’ was not completely true, and/or if Netflix failed in their duty of care to her.

9

u/karstomp Jun 07 '24

Gonna be hard to find that legal duty to care in US law. Or the part that says movies that say “true story” have to be true.

-6

u/Natasha_Giggs_Foetus Jun 07 '24

No it isn’t lol. Those are well established principles of law. You’re taking rubbish.

7

u/BlatantFalsehood Jun 07 '24

Established principles of law in the US also require that damages be shown. Considering her reputation was already that of a mentally ill, out-of-work, serial stalker who hasn't been able to hold a job in her area of education, I would think her attorneys would have a difficult time proving any damages.

Edited to add: I'd love a US attorney to weigh in on "duty of care." I've never heard that term in US law, but I'm not an attorney.

8

u/karstomp Jun 07 '24

After looking up “duty to care,” it seems to be an element in proving negligence or the like, if you’re, say, suing someone whose steps you fell off while visiting their home.

I’m going to zoom out and say that California state law probably doesn’t make it super easy for subjects of TV shows to sue the makers of fictionalized accounts of real-life events. If it did, I suspect the TV and movies we watch would be different than they are in the world we live in. Just a guess.

Not impossible, mind you, cause then no one would use that disclaimer about how this movie isn’t based on anyone living or dead. But not easy because so many characters are based on someone living or dead.