Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos Defends ‘Baby Reindeer’ Amid Legal Drama: “That Is Richard’s True Story”

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos is standing by Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd , despite the recent legal drama the show has faced.

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Gadd and Netflix were hit with a $170 million defamation lawsuit by Fiona Harvey , Gadd’s alleged real-life stalker, after she took issue with how the show depicted the character inspired by her.

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Sarandos told The Times of London newspaper that he was “proud of the show and the way Richard handled the story.”

In Baby Reindeer , the stalker was imprisoned but Harvey says she never received a conviction. Sarandos spoke on the show having a “true story” label attached to it despite the discrepancy:

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“It was no one’s intent to use a label recklessly. That is Richard’s true story,” he said. “The fact that you’re watching on television says that parts of it were certainly fictionalised and dramatised. I’m surprised that it’s a continued debate.”

In the same interview, Sarandos reaffirmed the streamer’s commitment to UK production and said that he was as surprised as anyone that Baby Reindeer became a global hit. Shows such as The Gentlemen and Bridgerton will continue to be produced in the UK.

When asked what his current favorite non-Netflix show is, Sarandos said FX ‘s The Bear , which is available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ . Of the kitchen-based comedy-drama, Sarandos said the series “holds TV to a higher bar, which I like.”

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