Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos stands by Richard Gadd despite $170M lawsuit

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos voiced his support for Richard Gadd, the writer and star of Netflix's chart-topping reality-based drama Baby Reindeer.

During a recent interview with The Times of London newspaper, the CEO of the streaming giant defended the seven-episode shocker, saying that it is fictionalised as a television drama; however, this does not change the fact that the crime stalking plot is true.

"It was no one’s intent to use a label recklessly," he said referring to the "true story" label attached to it. "That is Richard’s true story."

"The fact that you’re watching on television says that parts of it were certainly fictionalised and dramatised" he explained, adding his disbelief, "I’m surprised that it’s a continued debate."

For the unversed, Fiona Harvey, the woman who claimed to be the real-life stalker portrayed in Baby Reindeer as Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, filed a $170 million claim for damages in the Californian District Court against Netflix, suing for defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, and gross negligence.

She accused the series of wrongly portraying her as a criminal convicted for stalking who spent time behind the bars.

In addition, she also dismissed sexual assault claims from the show's creator in the court documents, which also accuse that Netflix "told these lies, and never stopped, because it was a better story than the truth, and better stories made money."