Amid an ongoing lawsuit, Netflix is standing by Baby Reindeer as a dramatic work of fiction.
Anne Mensah, the streamer’s vice chairman of authentic sequence, emphasised the significance of the Richard Gadd-created sequence for leading to a rise of male abuse survivors looking for help as she appeared at this week’s Edinburgh TV Competition.
“It was essential for these causes, and when you really feel [the controversy] detracted from that, I’d be completely dissatisfied,” mentioned Mensah, in line with The Independent. “I completely stand by all of the present. It’s drama, not a documentary.”
Primarily based on Gadd’s alleged expertise being sexually assaulted by a girl he claims was stalking him, the hit Netflix sequence rapidly resulted in widespread speculation about the real identity of his abuser, who impressed the character of Martha (Jessica Gunning).
Mensah mentioned that Netflix takes safeguarding “extremely critically” after a warning from the UK government. “I don’t make exhibits for publicity’s sake,” she mentioned, including: “It was about giving [Gadd] the house to inform that story. Chasing publicity is the antithesis of what I imagine in.”
Child Reindeer‘s real-life Martha, Fiona Harvey, on Piers Morgan Uncensored
Piers Morgan Uncensored/YouTube
Fiona Harvey has since come ahead, claiming to be the inspiration for Martha and hitting the streamer with a $170 million defamation and negligence lawsuit. Her legal professional Richard Roth has since seized on The Sunday Occasions‘ report that Netflix pressured Gadd to incorporate the “this is a true story” disclaimer earlier than every episode.
“That is far worse than negligence, that is intentional misconduct in the event that they had been instructed, ‘Don’t make it a real story.’ And so they mentioned it was true,” Roth instructed Piers Morgan Uncensored. “They will have to indicate that they’ve the details to help their declare.”
