Current:Home > MarketsBaby 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:2025-04-14 01:51:44
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! (3213)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- Royal Rumble winner Cody Rhodes agrees that Vince McMahon lawsuit casts 'dark cloud' over WWE
- 33 people have been killed in separate traffic crashes in eastern Afghanistan
- J.Crew’s Epic Weekend Sale Can’t Be Missed – up to 60% off Select Styles, Starting at $8
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are idling car factories and delaying new fashion. Will it get worse?
- Beijing steps up military pressure on Taiwan after the US and China announce talks
- U.S. pauses build-out of natural gas export terminals to weigh climate impacts
- Federal hiring is about to get the Trump treatment
- South Korea says North Korea fired several cruise missiles, adding to provocative weapons tests
Ranking
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- US sees signs of progress on deal to release hostages, bring temporary pause to Israel-Hamas war
- Nitrogen gas execution was textbook and will be used again, Alabama attorney general says
- South Korea says North Korea fired several cruise missiles, adding to provocative weapons tests
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- Aryna Sabalenka beats Zheng Qinwen to win back-to-back Australian Open titles
- Amber Glenn becomes first LGBTQ+ woman to win U.S. Women's Figure Skating Championship
- Maine man dies after rescuing 4-year-old son when both fall through ice at pond
Recommendation
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Flying on a Boeing 737 Max 9? Here's what to know.
China orders a Japanese fishing boat to leave waters near Japan-held islands claimed by Beijing
Nearly 25,000 tech workers were laid off in the first weeks of 2024. Why is that?
As Trump Enters Office, a Ripe Oil and Gas Target Appears: An Alabama National Forest
'Queer Eye' star Bobby Berk offers Gypsy Rose Blanchard a home redesign in controversial post
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas seeks CAS ruling to allow her to compete
Nearly 25,000 tech workers were laid in the first weeks of 2024. What's going on?