Netflix sued for $170m over Baby Reindeer character

Netflix is being sued for $170m by a woman who claims her privacy has been violated having been falsely depicted in the hit mini-series, Baby Reindeer.

Fiona Harvey says the show's character, Martha, is based on her and is suing the streaming service for defamation, negligence and privacy violations. 

The lawsuit, filed in California, is seeking damages of $170m (AED 625m) after the show falsely depicted her as a convicted criminal who spent time behind bars for stalking a comedian.

The series has been watched by over 50 million viewers around the world and states at the beginning of the first episode that the show is, "a true story", something which Harvey says is untrue.

Richard Gadd, the man who wrote and starred in the show, and who was allegedly stalked by Harvey, is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit. 

Gadd had previously taken to social media asking fans not to search for the true identity of Martha, however eagle-eyed fans quickly claimed Harvey was the inspiration for the character based on old Tweets and Facebook posts uncovered online.

Harvey told her side of the story in a viral interview with Piers Morgan where she denied ever having gone to prison or being charged for stalking.