When people love a show, they really love it. With the ease of binging and the discussions on social media, viewers can become totally consumed by the watch.
And as the world gets swept up by Netflix’s current number one show, the creator has issued a plea.
Baby Reindeer is based on the harrowing true story of Richard Gadd and his real ‘warped relationship’ with his female stalker.
Gadd himself stars in the miniseries, as the fictionalised version of himself, Donny Dunn.
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The comedian was heavily stalked by a woman for six years before police became involved, as she flooded him with 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 106 pages of letters and a jaw-dropping 350 hours of voicemail, as well as turning up to his gigs, workplace and home.
In Baby Reindeer, Donny is the obsession of Martha (played by Jessica Gunning), whose real name has also been changed to protect her identity.
But with the show being praised as the ‘best’ by many and becoming one of the most watched globally, viewers have begun speculating online about the woman’s real identity.
Users have taken to the likes of X and TikTok to try and seek out the real ‘Martha’, sharing women’s names and theories.
And they’ve also looked at other people in Gadd’s life in attempt to match them up with characters, including the person responsible for the sexual assault and rape Gadd experienced.
This has now led to the star taking to Instagram to plead with viewers to stop.
“Hi everyone, people I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation,” he wrote.
“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard xx.”
Gadd has been praised for the show’s depiction of stalking, which he describes as a ‘mental illness’.
“I really wanted to show the layers of stalking with a human quality I hadn’t seen on television before,” he told Tudum.
"It’s a stalker story turned on its head. It takes a trope and turns it on its head.”
He also added to Metro how his original idea of a stalker being a ‘psychopathic character’ was very different to his experience where he ‘saw someone very vulnerable’.
“I never want Baby Reindeer to have a moral point for people to take away. It’s not about anything, but I think there is a subtle reference to the fact that this is a vulnerable person who needs help,” he said.
Baby Reindeer is available to watch on Netflix now.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Alternatively, if you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Netflix, Baby Reindeer, Mental Health, Social Media, TV and Film
Jess Battison