Current:Home > InvestBaby Reindeer's Alleged Real-Life Stalker Speaks Out on Netflix Show -FutureWise Finance
Baby Reindeer's Alleged Real-Life Stalker Speaks Out on Netflix Show
View
Date:2025-04-18 20:09:25
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! (44)
Related
- Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
- US closes 5-year probe of General Motors SUV seat belt failures due to added warranty coverage
- Gun shops that sold weapons trafficked into Washington, DC, sued by nation’s capital and Maryland
- South Carolina Is Considered a Model for ‘Managed Retreat’ From Coastal Areas Threatened by Climate Change
- Buckingham Palace staff under investigation for 'bar brawl'
- The 49ers place rookie Ricky Pearsall on the non-football injury list after shooting
- The 33 most anticipated movies of the Fall
- Steelers' Arthur Smith starts new NFL chapter with shot at redemption – and revenge
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- 4-year-old boy fatally shot inside a St. Louis house with no adults present
Ranking
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- SpaceX Falcon 9 is no longer grounded: What that means for Polaris Dawn launch
- How Hailey Bieber's Rhode Beauty Reacted to Influencer's Inclusivity Critique
- Kristin Cavallari Shares Why She’s Having the Best Sex of Her Life With Mark Estes
- Jamie Foxx reps say actor was hit in face by a glass at birthday dinner, needed stitches
- Murder on Music Row: An off-key singer with $10K to burn helped solve a Nashville murder
- Fantasy football 2024 draft rankings: PPR and non-PPR
- Joshua Jackson Shares Rare Insight Into Bond With His and Jodie Turner-Smith's 4-Year-Old Daughter
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Trent Williams ends holdout with 49ers with new contract almost complete
James Darren, 'Gidget' and 'T.J. Hooker' star, dies at 88 after hospitalization: Reports
Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Star Kyle Richards Says This $29.98 Bikini Looks Like a Chanel Dupe
Jorge Ramos reveals his final day with 'Noticiero Univision': 'It's been quite a ride'
Steelers' Arthur Smith starts new NFL chapter with shot at redemption – and revenge
Matt Smith criticizes trigger warnings in TV and 'too much policing of stories'
How Mia Farrow Feels About Actors Working With Ex Woody Allen After Allegations