Woman Who Says She Inspired ‘Baby Reindeer’ Character Sues Netflix

A woman who says that a character in the Netflix drama “Baby Reindeer” was modeled after her sued the streaming company on Thursday for defamation, claiming that the show, which is based on a true story, falsely suggested that she was a convicted stalker.

In a lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles, lawyers for the woman, Fiona Harvey, said that she had never been convicted of a crime and that she had not committed other offenses that the character in the series does. She also claims that the show has destroyed her reputation.

In “Baby Reindeer,” which was created by the comedian Richard Gadd, a woman named Martha, played by the actress Jessica Gunning, torments an aspiring comedian named Donny Dunn (played by Mr. Gadd) through emails and voice mail messages.

Ms. Harvey’s lawsuit calls particular attention to a statement that appears onscreen at the beginning of “Baby Reindeer”: “This is a true story.” That statement, the lawsuit claims, is “the biggest lie in television history.”

The suit, which makes claims of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and negligence, asks for tens of millions of dollars in damages.

Netflix did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The show’s credits include an additional statement: “This program is based on real events: however certain characters, names, incidents, locations, and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes.”