Netflix has made Jessica Gunning’s audition tape available for the part of Martha in Richard Gadd’s gripping “true story” series about his run-in with a suspected stalker.
The Emmy voting season is coming up, so this release is probably timed perfectly. But that comes only hours after Fiona Harvey, the real-life model for Martha, sued Netflix for $170 million.
Gunning recreates a scene from the first *Baby Reindeer* episode in the 80-second short, in which Donny (Gadd) and Martha meet for coffee and Martha gets furious out of the blue. Clerkenwell Films created the series, which is expected to be a serious candidate for prizes. Netflix has promised to “vigorously†refute Harvey’s claims.
Fiona Harvey is suing Netflix on grounds of carelessness and slander. Her case, which was filed in a Los Angeles federal court, claims that the show depicts the “biggest lie in television history†about her.
“We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story,” Netflix said.
In its debut month on Netflix, *Baby Reindeer* attracted over 60 million views. It also recently took up the Breakthrough Limited Series trophy at the Gotham TV Awards.