Current:Home > reviewsBaby Reindeer's Alleged Real-Life Stalker Speaks Out on Netflix Show -NextFrontier Finance
Baby Reindeer's Alleged Real-Life Stalker Speaks Out on Netflix Show
View
Date:2025-04-23 15:21:33
Baby Reindeer's real-life "Martha" is breaking her silence.
Two weeks after the release of the Netflix series, which is based on comedian Richard Gadd's experience with a stalker, the woman who allegedly served as his inspiration spoke out to say that she's been receiving "death threats and abuse" from people who have figured out her identity.
"He's using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now," she told the Daily Mail, accusing Gadd of "bullying an older woman on television for fame and fortune."
The woman—who the outlet chose not to identify by name—also said she's considering legal action against the actor, claiming he has "main character syndrome."
"I'm the victim," she said. "He's written a bloody show about me."
The woman added, "He always thinks he's at the center of things. I'm not writing shows about him or promoting them in the media, am I? If he wanted me to be properly anonymous, he could have done so. Gadd should leave me alone."
E! News has reached out to Gadd for comment but hasn't heard back. However, the 34-year-old previously said that many details in the series were changed to protect people's identities. On the show, Gadd portrayed a fictionalized version of himself named Donny Dunn, while his alleged stalker was called Martha, who was played by actress Jessica Gunning.
"It's all borrowed from instances that happened to me and real people that I met," he told Variety in an interview published April 19. "But of course, you can't do the exact truth, for both legal and artistic reasons. I mean, there's certain protections, you can't just copy somebody else's life and name and put it onto television. And obviously, we were very aware that some characters in it are vulnerable people, so you don't want to make their lives more difficult."
Amid Baby Reindeer's success, Gadd also discouraged fans from publicly identifying his past abusers, including the TV writer who sexually abused him early in his comedy career. (In the series, the character was played by Tom Goodman-Hill.)
"Please don't speculate on who any of the real life people could be," he wrote on Instagram Stories, per People. "That's not the point of our show."
So, why did he create Baby Reindeer? "All I ever wanted to do was capture something complicated about the human condition," Gadd wrote in the show's Netflix description. "That we all make mistakes. That no person is ever good or bad. That we are all lost souls looking for love in our own weird way."
He added, "Hoping that in amongst all the messy, complicated, f--ked up themes, Baby Reindeer throws at you that people might take notice of its beating heart."
For free, confidential help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.veryGood! (7)
Related
- NCAA hits former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh with suspension, show-cause for recruiting violations
- Ian McKellen says Harvey Weinstein once apologized for 'stealing' his Oscar
- Father of Georgia school shooting suspect requests separate jailing after threats
- 911 calls overwhelmed operators after shooting at Georgia’s Apalachee High School
- Giants, Lions fined $200K for fights in training camp joint practices
- Boar’s Head closing Virginia plant linked to deadly listeria outbreak
- Aldi announces wage increases up to $23 an hour; hiring thousands of employees
- Air Canada urges government to intervene as labor dispute with pilots escalates
- Golf's No. 1 Nelly Korda looking to regain her form – and her spot on the Olympic podium
- When do new episodes of 'Tulsa King' come out? Season 2 premiere date, cast, where to watch
Ranking
- Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
- North Carolina absentee ballots release, delayed by RFK Jr. ruling, to begin late next week
- Indy woman drowned in Puerto Rico trying to save girlfriend from rip currents, family says
- Aldi announces wage increases up to $23 an hour; hiring thousands of employees
- Meet 11-year-old skateboarder Zheng Haohao, the youngest Olympian competing in Paris
- Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams Accuses Ex-Wife of Gatekeeping Their Kids in Yearslong Custody Case
- Why Britney Spears Will Likely Still Pay Child Support to Ex Kevin Federline After Jayden's 18th Birthday
- Black Excellence Brunch heads to White House in family-style celebration of Black culture
Recommendation
Billy Bean was an LGBTQ advocate and one of baseball's great heroes
Linda Ronstadt slams Trump 'hate show' held at namesake music hall
Robert De Niro slams Donald Trump: 'He's a jerk, an idiot'
Officers’ reports on fatal Tyre Nichols beating omitted punches and kicks, lieutenant testifies
'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
The Daily Money: Weird things found in hotel rooms
Grey's Anatomy's Jesse Williams Accuses Ex-Wife of Gatekeeping Their Kids in Yearslong Custody Case
Justin Timberlake Admits His Mistake After Reaching Plea Deal in DWI Case