My Little Reindeer tells of the stalking of the main character by a certain Martha. If this story is supposed to be a true story, the real Martha, who would be Fiona Harvey, disputes the Netflix series.
My Little Reindeer gave Netflix subscribers chills for several weeks, and the series is still among the most watched works on the platform today. It tells the twisted story of a comedian harassed by a woman, Martha, to whom he simply offered a drink.
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This is a true story. Richard Gadd, creator of the series, plays his own role in the series. But the one who is believed to be the real Martha disputed its veracity, while denouncing the social media campaign aimed at finding her. She reiterates her nuances on the story, in her first public interview openly, given on May 9.
My Little Reindeer is “hyperbole” according to the real Martha
The real Martha would be Fiona Harvey, forced to reveal her identity after Internet users tried to find her. During this interview for the American show Piers Morgan Uncensored (often subject to controversy), she believes that the series is a story of pure “ hyperbola », accentuating real events.
She confirms having met Richard in this bar, having exchanged messages, and having given him the nickname “ Little Reindeer ”, but not the rest of the story. “ Some emails » were allegedly exchanged, she says, only one letter and 18 tweets, but she categorically denies the 41,000 emails, 350 voice messages and 48 Facebook messages mentioned in the series. Numbers ” incorrect » according to her, who adds that she never had Richard's telephone number. She also denies having contacted his relatives and having seen him again afterwards, just as she denies the sexual assault. “ The Netflix series is not true “, she says.
During the interview, she explains that she is considering legal action against the platform. However, nothing says that she will go all the way. For now, it's one word — Richard Gadd — against another word — Fiona Harvey. The Netflix series has a major advantage in the event of a defamation lawsuit: it is presented as a fictionalization of real events; and, above all, she never mentions real names. Richard Gadd himself admitted to changing elements to distance himself from reality, such as the ending – the real Martha was never sentenced to prison, he revealed.
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Beyond the veracity or not of the series, Fiona Harvey denounces the harassment she suffered after the broadcast of the series. She describes in particular death threats and repeated phone calls. Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a TV series has led to real-life harassment. It’s even more of a shame when the series in question denounces stalking.
