After becoming Netflix's top-performing show around the world in its first week, Baby Reindeer continues to make headlines. This time it's because the alleged 'real' stalker from the show, Fiona Harvey, reportedly sent hundreds of messages to Sir Keir Starmer.
Baby Reindeer depicts the writer and lead actor Richard Gadd's experiences of being stalked by a woman called Martha (played in the series by Jessica Gunning) and has been subject to controversy in recent weeks after internet sleuths tried to find 'the real Martha' online.
Apparently Harvey, 58 – who true-crime fiends believe is Gadd's stalker and who was interviewed by Piers Morgan on his YouTube series, Piers Morgan Uncensored earlier this month – sent the Labour leader 276 messages between January and August in 2020. Some of the messages are said to have been threatening towards Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria.
Harvey reportedly called him a ‘non job’, ‘a stupid little boy’ and a ‘useless barrister’ and said she would target him with complaints to standards watchdogs and that his 'life won’t be worth living'. All of the alleged messages were signed off 'sent from iPhone', in a similar way to Martha's messages to Donny on the hit Netflix show.
Starmer's office is yet to respond to these claims, however, Harvey continues to gain a public profile and faces new allegations.
During her interview with Piers Morgan on 9 May, she was questioned about Baby Reindeer and asked about her relationship with Gadd.
She admitted to having six email addresses and multiple phones, but denied assaulting Gadd or his girlfriend, as Martha did in the show. Harvey also denied stalking Gadd and said she planned to sue Netflix for starting each episode with 'this is a true story'.
Following the widely contested interview with Piers Morgan, Fiona Harvey said she felt 'used' and that it had been 'set up'.
When contacted for comment about the reports of messages to Sir Keir Starmer, Harvey responded to Grazia to say that media attention around Baby Reindeer and her identification as the 'real Martha' had damaged her health, reputation, job prospects and ability to make decisions about her welfare and best interests. She will not be commenting further until she has a legal team in place, which will issue any further statements on her position.
Nikki Peach is news and entertainment writer at Grazia UK, working across pop culture, TV and current affairs.