Netflix Posts Baby Reindeer Audition Tape, Response To Mega-Millions Lawsuit?
Netflix took to X to post Jessica Gunning’s riveting audition tape for the role of Martha in the alleged true story series Baby Reindeer. While it’s amazing to see how fully-formed Gunning’s take on the character was in the audition stages, the timing of the post is certainly interesting, considering the alleged real-life Martha, Fiona Harvey, hit Netflix with a $170 million lawsuit just hours earlier.
While Netflix says nothing about the lawsuit in the post, perhaps the streamer is indicating it won’t be slowing down its marketing of the series anytime soon.
The Baby Reindeer lawsuit filed by Harvey against Netflix, Inc. and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment accuses the company of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence, and violations of Harvey’s right to privacy.
Of course, the Occam’s Razor explanation for the Baby Reindeer audition tape post is that Emmy voting to determine nominees starts in June. Obviously, Netflix is going to push hard to get the series some Emmy nods, especially for Jessica Gunning’s stunning and harrowing performance as the alleged stalker in Richard Gadd’s retelling of his experiences with “Martha.” Gunning has been getting a ton of critical praise, and she seems like a shoo-in for an Emmy nomination.
The 80-second audition tape shows the scene in the first episode of Baby Reindeer, where Donny (Richard Gadd) and Martha go for coffee. The audition showcases a few of the hallmarks of Gunning’s eventual on-screen performance, such as her unsettling and boisterous laugh and her bubbling anger under the surface. However, Fiona Harvey has found the performance less than impressive.
Of course, the Occam’s Razor explanation for the Baby Reindeer audition tape post is that Emmy voting to determine nominees starts in June.
The Baby Reindeer lawsuit filed by Harvey against Netflix, Inc. and Netflix Worldwide Entertainment accuses the company of defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, gross negligence, and violations of Harvey’s right to privacy.
The suit includes allegations that the series lied about certain aspects of Harvey’s life, such as saying she was a twice-convicted stalker who was sentenced to prison and that she sexually assaulted Gadd. While Gadd is mentioned multiple times in the 34-page suit, he isn’t a defendant.
Netflix responded to the suit quickly, with a spokesperson for the company saying that the streamer intends to, “defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”
…Baby Reindeer recently won the Breakthrough Limited Series award at the Gotham TV Awards, which bodes well for its Emmy chances.
As mentioned, Harvey is seeking injunctive relief to the hefty tune of $170 million, so it seems like the streamer now has quite the court case on its hands. However, posting the Baby Reindeer audition tape does make it seem like Netflix is at least going to make good on its promise to “stand by” the story and the show.
As far as the acclaim side of things goes, Baby Reindeer recently won the Breakthrough Limited Series award at the Gotham TV Awards, which bodes well for its Emmy chances. The show gained a strong 60 million views in its first month on Netflix. Regardless of what’s going on behind the scenes, the show is proving to be a big hit for the streaming service from other angles.
We’ll have to wait and see how the Baby Reindeer court case plays out. For the time being, it seems like Netflix certainly isn’t going to back down. If you want to check the series out for yourself, it’s now available to stream.
