Netflix’s week in court went about as well as trying to watch a movie on dial-up internet—slow, painful, and full of buffering. Their attempts to kick a $170 million defamation suit to the curb got a big, fat “nope” from the judge. So, what’s this all about? Well, back in June, Netflix was slapped with a lawsuit by one Fiona Harvey, who’s madder than a hornet because she claims the character Martha, played by Jessica Gunning in Baby Reindeer, is basically a carbon copy of her. And not the flattering kind either. She’s alleging defamation like she found a cockroach in her cereal.
In their defense, Netflix swore up and down they weren’t even talking about her and tried to get the case tossed faster than a bad sequel. But U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner wasn’t buying their popcorn. He straight-up rejected their argument like a bouncer turning away a guy with no shoes at the club.
Let’s break down the legal mumbo-jumbo: Netflix tried to convince the court that “nobody would possibly think Martha is Fiona Harvey because the similarities are way too broad.” You know, like how any Scottish lawyer living in London who’s been accused of stalking and had awkward social media convos with the same guy could’ve been the inspiration? But Judge Klausner was like, “Nah, fam, that’s a bit too specific.”
In his court documents, he basically said, “Look, Netflix, this isn’t one of those ‘this could be anyone’ situations. Martha and Fiona are practically twins, except for the part where one’s on TV and the other is suing your pants off. Both are Scottish lawyers, same age, living in London, accused of stalking in a newspaper article, and both have a weird social media thing with Gadd/Donny. I mean, come on! This is not ‘just a coincidence’ territory anymore.”
Now, don’t get too excited if you’re Team Fiona, because the judge did swipe a couple of her claims off the table. She won’t be getting damages for negligence or a shiny ‘right of publicity’ award. And punitive damages? Yeah, those are out too. Sorry, Fiona, no extra sprinkles on this sundae.
If Netflix and Fiona don’t hug it out and settle before then, the case is headed to trial on May 6, 2025. Get your popcorn ready, this drama might be even juicier than what’s on Netflix! Stay tuned for updates, because who knows? Maybe they’ll adapt this into a show next!