Woman Sues Netflix Over Baby Reindeer 'Defamation'
Vocabulary
Repeat each word, definition, and example sentence after your tutor.
defamation
Noun
ˌdefəˈmeɪʃn
the act of damaging the reputation of someone or something
In 2017, Manny Pacquiao won a defamation case against the British newspaper The Daily Mail.
damages
Noun
ˈdæmɪdʒɪz
money that a court makes a person or organization pay because of harm they have caused
The university was ordered to pay $500,000 in damages to the former professor.
allege
Verb
əˈlɛdʒ
to say that something is true, typically without proof
Witnesses allege that the driver ran a red light and caused the accident.
negligent
Adjective
ˈnɛglɪdʒənt
failing to give something proper care and attention
The company was negligent in protecting the safety of its factory workers.
violate
Verb
ˈvaɪəˌleɪt
to break or fail to respect a rule, law, etc.
The company could face prosecution for violating its users' privacy.
torment
Verb
tɔːrˈment
to cause someone to experience great mental or physical pain
I've been tormented by feelings of guilt over what I said to Lily.
Article
Woman Sues Netflix Over Baby Reindeer 'Defamation'
A woman who says she is the inspiration for the stalker at the center of the hit Netflix show Baby Reindeer has sued the streaming company for defamation and is seeking at least $170 million in damages.
Fiona Harvey, a 58-year-old Scottish woman living in England, filed the lawsuit in a court in Los Angeles. She says the character Martha in the popular series is clearly based on her.
The lawsuit also alleges that Netflix was negligent, intentionally subjected her to emotional distress and violated her right to publicity.
Baby Reindeer is a British black comedy that's based on a one-man stage show by Richard Gadd.
Gadd plays a fictional version of himself named Donny Dunn, a man who, in his day job at a pub, gives Martha, a quick-to-laugh customer, a free cup of tea.
Martha eventually becomes a stalker who sends him tens of thousands of emails, tweets at him hundreds of times, then eventually attacks him and is arrested and sent to prison.
None of this actually happened, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit says that "it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money."
Netflix responded with a statement saying it intends to defend itself and "to stand by Richard Gadd's right to tell his story."
The lawsuit alleges that Netflix did nothing to determine whether the stalking and other details were accurate, nor did it do anything to understand the actual relationship between Harvey and Gadd.
"Netflix and Gadd destroyed her reputation, her character and her life," the suit says.
The show was first shown on Netflix in April, and Harvey publicly came forward and gave an interview to journalist Piers Morgan about a month later. But the lawsuit says viewers and the British media had identified her long before that, and they have tormented her constantly since.
The lawsuit says that the series' claim at the beginning of its first episode that it's a true story is "the biggest lie in television history."
Discussion
1.
What are your thoughts on Fiona Harvey's lawsuit against Netflix?
2.
Have you watched Baby Reindeer? If so, what did you think of it? If not, do you plan on watching it?
3.
Do you know of any TV shows or movies that misrepresent real-life events?
4.
What are some of your favorite TV shows or movies based on real events?
5.
If you were to create a TV show based on your life, what are some of the key events you'd include?
