Richard Gadd and the cast of Baby Reindeer are at a high point in their life, with the creator winning three Emmys just last week. In stark contrast, Fiona Harvey, known as the inspiration behind the character Martha Scott, says she’s “suffering” from “constant panic attacks”, “anxiety” and more.
Daily Mail has just revealed a statement from Harvey lodged in court as part of her $170 million lawsuit against Netflix, and it’s concerning.
“I am afraid to go outside out of fear of being attacked. Some weeks I do not leave my apartment,” she wrote.
“I am suffering from, among other things, constant panic attacks, chest pains, anxiety, nightmares, depression, nervousness, stomach pains, loss of appetite, fear and insomnia.”
While Gadd previously told GQ in April that he “went to great lengths to disguise” who the real Martha was, he might not have been as slick as he thought.
“I don’t think she would recognise herself,” he said at the time. “What’s been borrowed is an emotional truth, not a fact-by-fact profile of someone.”
However, Harvey’s regular hairdresser Jon Hala, claims he recognised who Martha was after watching one episode. He told Daily Mail that both Harvey and the character Martha were “strong and spicy” Scottish women who lived in Camden at one point.
“Martha looks like her. Martha sounds like her. Martha dresses like her. Martha is an attorney, like Fiona Harvey. Martha is very bright, and at times, extremely funny and endearing, like Fiona Harvey. Martha, also like Fiona Harvey, is a highly stressful individual who does have emotional issues,” he said.
The stylist has been colouring and cutting Harvey’s hair for seven years and last saw her about eight weeks ago.
“She’s not in a good way because of what’s going on. The problem is, it’s hard for her to step out of the door,” Hala said.
“When she was last here, it was definitely trauma [she was suffering from]. It’s a very busy salon and we have a VIP room area and we put her in there, away from everybody. We do it for her peace of mind.”
In Gadd’s 21-page declaration filed back in July, he reiterated that his show was a work of fiction.
“I did not write the series as a representation of actual facts about any real person, including Fiona Harvey. Harvey is never mentioned in the series,” he wrote.
“[This show is] not a documentary or an attempt at realism… it is not a beat-by-beat recounting of the events and emotions I experienced as they transpired. It is fictionalised, and is not intended to portray actual facts.”
The $170 million defamation lawsuit is set to head to trial on May 6, 2025. I’m sure more information will come to light as we wait to see what happens.
Lead image: Netflix, YouTube/Piers Morgan Uncensored
