PIERS Morgan has revealed to Lorraine Kelly how Netflix may have “lied” about alleged Baby Reindeer stalker Fiona Harvey.
The Uncensored host appeared on ITV’s Lorraine this morning to discuss his bombshell interview with Fiona Harvey which raked in 11 million views.
Internet sleuths were quick to track down Fiona and identify her as the inspiration behind the obsessive stalker after Baby Reindeer launched last month.
But Fiona widely disputed the events depicted in the Netflix mini-series during her chat with Piers.
During the interview, the “real-life Martha” from hit show Baby Reindeer told Piers she is taking legal action against Richard Gadd and Netflix.
And Piers says that Netflix claiming that the show “is a true story” could be problematic.
The ex-GMB host said that although he believes Fiona was lying at points, he hasn’t seen any proof that she’s been convicted of stalking as the character Martha was in the show.
Piers told Lorraine today: “She has a right to have her say and was happy to come on the show, I tried to be very fair and balanced and tried to get to the truth.
“I think she lied in the interview but is she a convicted stalker?
“The key point is, if she isn’t, then the Netflix claim at the start of every episode saying ‘this is a true story’ becomes problematic.
“Have they defamed her? If you accuse someone of being a convicted stalker and they are not, that is a pretty serious claim to make.
“I think they’ve got problems here because she clearly is determined to have her day in court with Netflix.”
Piers added: “The key question is, after watching the series and my interview, is it actually a true story?
“Did she go to prison, is she a convicted stalker?
“As I sit here Lorraine so far, there is no actual evidence that she has ever been in court – so we have to wait and see.”
The Uncensored host also criticised how easy it was for sleuths to track down messages online.
He said: “Internet sleuths typed parts of messages into her Twitter account and came up with the same phraseology.
What Fiona claims is true in Baby Reindeer saga
Fiona Harvey – who claims to be the inspiration for the Baby Reindeer character Martha – says there is only a handful of things true in the Netflix show.
The seven-part series, which premiered last month, was written by comedian Richard Gadd and purports to be based on his own personal experiences of being stalked and sexually assaulted.
Gadd, 34, plays a fictionalised version of himself – Donnie Dunn – but Harvey, who was ‘outed’ by internet sleuths within hours of the show being uploaded, is adamant the story is “completely untrue”.
The 58-year-old law graduate said: “It’s a work of hyperbole, as I’ve always said. And there are two true facts in that. His name is Richard Gadd, and he works as a jobbing barman on benefits, in the Hawley Arms. And we met, two or three times…”
On whether she said he looked like a ‘baby reindeer’ toy she had as a child, she added: “I had a toy reindeer and he’d shaved his head, that bit is true, and there were reindeer in the shops because it was Christmas time or something. It was a joke.
“So I have inadvertently penned the name of the show.”
“I think they [Netflix] failed in their duty of care to Fiona.”
Fiona Harvey also denied any criminal convictions during her interview with the Uncensored host.
She said: “That’s completely untrue. Very, very defamatory to me, very career damaging.
“And I wanted to rebut that completely on this show. I’m not a stalker.
“I’ve not been to jail, I’ve not got injunctions, interdicts. This is just complete nonsense.”
If you missed the interview you can get the highlights as the action unfolded, plus Piers breaks down the interview for The Sun.
As I sit here so far, there is no actual evidence that she has ever been in court – so we have to wait and see.
Piers Morgan talking on Lorraine
In a moment towards the end of the in-depth interview, Harvey looked into the camera and sent a message to Richard Gadd regarding the allegations against her.
She told him: “Leave me alone, please.
“Get a life. Get a proper job. I am horrified at what you’ve done.”
Baby Reindeer has taken the world by storm since its release, with millions tuning in to follow the story of a comedian and his stalker.
Written by and starring comedian Gadd – who plays Donnie Dunn, a fictionalised version of himself – the programme details the alleged ordeal, with Martha played by Jessica Gunning.
CHILLING TALE
In the show, the then-struggling comic, while working in a London bar, hands Martha a free cup of tea before things turn sinister.
The series claims she subsequently bombarded the barman with more than 41,000 emails.
She also sent him hundreds of tweets and hours of voicemails and even camped outside his house for days.
Martha then harasses his parents and ex, and assaults his girlfriend over an alleged four-year campaign of terror.
In Baby Reindeer, the Martha character often signs off her emails as if they were sent from an iPhone – despite being from her laptop – and are misspelt in a variety of ways.
Fiona is alleged to be the inspiration for sinister Martha in Netflix hit Baby Reindeer.
Fiona says she met him at the Hawley Arms boozer in the city’s Camden and has received threats from fans after being linked with the character.
But despite fan speculation that Fiona’s side of the story could lead to a second series of the show, it’s been ruled out by those working closely with star Richard.
Insiders said that writer Gadd, 35, will be moving away from the series, which tells his real-life stalking experience.
A source explained: “There are no plans to bring Baby Reindeer back for more, or for Richard to address Fiona’s interview in any follow up.”
