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.

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.

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:

“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.”