Unfortunately, cases of stalking are not uncommon in Singapore. In fact, earlier this year in January, a man was jailed for following a woman home from work for several days. Stalking in any case is a scary experience, but when someone’s real-life account of the same is depicted on screen in horrifying detail, it becomes even scarier.
Debuting on Netflix earlier last month, British dark comedy thriller Baby Reindeer has already been met with rave reviews and considerable acclaim from both critics and audiences alike for its depiction of the emotional complexities and turmoil involved in stalking incidents, as told through the lens of stand-up comic Richard Gadd.
Written by stand-up comedian Richard Gadd inspired by first-hand accounts of his own experiences in being stalked and assaulted by an older woman, the miniseries offers viewers a glimpse into the twisted origins of how seemingly innocuous interactions between individuals can inadvertently lead to manic obsession. As the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, as protagonist Donny Dunn discovers after meeting former lawyer Martha Scott in the bar where he works.
A simple act of kindness in offering her a cup of tea would later transpire into an intense and perverse attachment to Dunn, leading to online harassment and stalking attempts that would culminate in sexual assault and a meltdown of Dunn’s life, both socially and personally.
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Since the show aired, sleuths have made a bid to suss out the real identity behind the mentally unstable fictitious lawyer, despite Gadd urging fans not to do so. However, in a surprise move, the woman herself has agreed to come forward in an interview with British television personality Piers Morgan to speak her truth about Baby Reindeer‘s depiction of what had transpired between them.
Claiming that her life has been upended by the success of Baby Reindeer, Fiona Harvey, who inspired the character of Martha, has firmly denied the show’s claims, describing them as being ‘complete nonsense’. Here are some of the key takeaways from her bombshell segment.
1. She was not offered a drink for free
In Baby Reindeer, Gadd alleges that his interaction with Harvey, or in this case the character of Martha Scott, first started when he saw her in an emotionally distraught state and offered her a cup of tea for free.
But according to Harvey, that was not the case as she had first visited the bar for a meal with another individual, and Gadd had interjected her conversation she was having at the time.
2. She did not send Gadd 41,000 emails
Throughout the show, Martha’s obsession with Donny grew considerably in scale, eventually reaching a point where she attempted to incessantly contact him through an eye-popping total of 41,000 emails, 744 tweets, 100 pages of letters, and 350 hours of voicemails.
Fiona Harvey was quick to rubbish those claims and pegged the ‘actual figure’ at ‘less than ten’ emails, a handful of Tweets and ‘one’ letter. With that said, she does strangely admit to maintaining 6 email addresses and 4 mobile phones, which she uses to contact different people.
3. She was never obsessed or attracted to Gadd
Another contentious claim that she was quick to dispel was her apparent obsession with Gadd. In Baby Reindeer, Martha is depicted to have grown emotionally attached to Donny and begins stalking him both online and in person.
When asked if she was ever in love with Richard Gadd, Harvey said “No… I gave him the brush off. He asked me to sleep with him with a big green spot in his face one day. I said no I’m sorry, I’m not interested.”
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4. She had never attacked Gadd’s girlfriend in a jealous rage
One of the pivotal moments from the miniseries was seen when Martha attacked Donny’s girlfriend in a fit of jealous rage after learning that the couple had decided to resume their relationship together.
As Fiona Harvey explains it, not only did she never attack Gadd’s girlfriend, she went so far as to posit that he never had a girlfriend to begin with.
5. She has never been criminally convicted
By the time both Martha and Donny crossed paths in Baby Reindeer, the out-of-work lawyer already had a criminally checkered past to her name. This was further exacerbated when the long arm of the law finally caught up with her, and she was convicted of stalking Donny and sentenced to nine months in prison.
Her real-life counterpart denies this being the case, stating that she does not have a criminal profile nor has she ever done time in prison.
6. She did not know of the series until its launch
When asked if she had any prior knowledge that the series was being filmed, Harvey said that she was kept in the dark and only came to know of its existence when it began making the rounds on the news.
Harvey has also never seen the show, describing it as ‘obscene’ and ‘misogynystic’. “I wouldn’t give credence to something like that and it’s not really my kind of drama.” she adds.
7. She wants to take legal action against Gadd
Having been on the receiving end of death threats and constant harassment from fans as a result of Baby Reindeer’s success, Harvey is now hoping to take legal action against both Richard Gadd and Netflix for creating the show.
“Leave me alone, please. Get a life, get a proper job. I am horrified at what you’ve done.” she said, when asked if there was anything she would like to tell Gadd.
This article first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Kuala Lumpur
