Netflix is facing a legal challenge following a defamation lawsuit filed by Fiona Harvey. In the lawsuit, Harvey alleges that she was falsely depicted as a dangerous stalker in the streaming service's series Baby Reindeer. The lawsuit, initiated on Thursday in a California federal court, demands at least $120 million in damages, including profits derived from the series.

"Baby Reindeer" is based on the experiences of Richard Gadd, a comedian who purportedly endured years of stalking. The series characterizes Martha, portrayed by Jessica Gunning, as a serial stalker whose obsessive behavior includes sending vast quantities of emails, tweets, letters, and voicemails to Gadd's character, Donny Dunn. The narrative escalates to depict Martha as a convicted criminal who has been imprisoned for stalking and sexually assaulting Gadd.

Harvey's lawsuit accuses Netflix of defamation, negligence, and violations of the right of publicity law. She contends that the series falsely portrays her as a twice-convicted stalker sentenced to five years for sexual assault, allegations she adamantly denies. Harvey asserts that she has never been convicted of any crime and accuses the series of making serious factual misrepresentations without proper verification.

The complaint criticizes Netflix for not conducting adequate research to confirm the factual accuracy of the claims made in the show, which is presented to audiences as a true story. Harvey’s legal team argues that the streamer failed to investigate the legitimacy of the convictions or the nature of the relationship between Gadd and Harvey, among other alleged factual inaccuracies.

Defamation is a legal claim that arises when one party's statements or publications damage another party's reputation. The fundamental goal of defamation law is to balance the protection of individual reputation with the freedom of expression.

In the lawsuit involving Fiona Harvey and Netflix, proving defamation involves demonstrating that the portrayal in "Baby Reindeer" caused harm to Harvey's reputation and that the portrayals were not only false but made without adequate research into their truthfulness. Additionally, because her real name was not used, Harvey must show that she was still identifiable to the audience, which complicates her legal challenge.

Netflix has responded to the lawsuit by expressing its intention to "defend this matter vigorously" and uphold Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story. The defense may hinge on the fact that Harvey's real name was not used in the series, a detail that could complicate her defamation claims.