Baby Reindeer viewers are appalled a nightclub has organised a personal appearance with Fiona Harvey, thought to be the inspiration behind Martha.
A promotional poster posted on the business’s social media accounts has advertised a meet and greet, autograph signing, and selfies with 58-year-old Harvey.
It also included an obscene reference to a message about ‘hanging her curtains’ Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, sends the comedian she’s stalking Donny, portrayed by the show’s creator Richard Gadd.
The poster read: ‘Fiona Harvey aka Martha from Baby Reindeer. A personal appearance where she will sign autographs, take selfies and maybe take some lucky reindeer home to hang her curtains!’
The bottom of the promo read ‘sent from my iphon’, echoing the same, misspelled signature Martha in Baby Reindeer would use to sign off her messages to Donny in Baby Reindeer.’
Fans were outraged that a nightclub was exploiting Gadd’s real-life experience of stalking for commercial gain and raised concerns over Harvey’s safeguarding – after she last week said she felt ‘used’ in an interview with Piers Morgan.
On Instagram, Ryanprew99 fumed: ‘If this is real it’s a disgrace and you should be ashamed.’
Agreeing with their sentiment, Chiragpraakash raged: ‘Unfathomably disgusting @kasbah_coventry. Don’t think I’m ever going to kasbah again.’
Withlovemicah also added: ‘As a business you should be appalled that you need to use a male’s sa story to gain customers. absolutely vile.’
Luizegraustina said: ‘Is this a joke?? How are you planning to safeguard this woman?’
After the internet sleuth unveiled the ‘real Martha’ despite pleas from Gadd to preserve her anonymity, she was interviewed by Morgan on Uncensored in a two-part special.
In it, she repeatedly denied stalking Gadd in real life, describing the show as ‘a work of fiction, a work of hyperbole.’
Reflecting on her sit-down with Morgan, Harvey later said she felt ‘used’ by him as he relentlessly questioned her over an infatuation with Gadd.
She claimed Morgan, 59, grilled her over the subject of 41,000 emails sent to Gadd for a 10-minute chunk of the interview.
In an attempt to defend herself, she hit back that even if the emails were true, it did not mean the entire saga was completely factual.
‘It seemed to me that I was set up. I feel a bit used,’ Harvey added.
Morgan reportedly described the interaction as a ‘sparring match’ between the pair, for which his interviewee claimed she was only paid £250.
Gadd has not directly commented on the interview but said today that he will never discuss the identities of the real people the characters in Baby Reindeer are based on.
‘I don’t think I’ll ever comment on it ever again,’ he told Hollywood Reporter, days before the sit-down chat was aired.
The comedian continued: ‘The Internet’s always going to do its thing. I can’t really comment on that.’
‘I’m called Donny Dunn. It exists in a sort of fictional realm; even though it’s based on truth, it exists in a fictional realm. Let’s enjoy the world that I’ve created,’ the 35-year-old remarked.
‘If I wanted the real-life people to be found, I would’ve made it a documentary.
‘I’ve spoken publicly about how I don’t want people to do it and if I start playing a game of whack-a-mole, then I’m almost adding to it.’
Baby Reindeer is available to stream on Netflix.
