Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd has been criticized for “not doing enough” to protect the identity of his stalker after internet sleuths claimed to have found her online.
The 34-year-old plays protagonist Donny in the Netflix series which is based on his Edinburgh Fringe show about his own experiences of being harassed by a woman, called Martha Scott in the series, and sexually abused by a high-ranking comedy agent. profile.
She previously made it clear that she changed names and specific story details to protect the identities of those involved, even claiming that ‘Martha’ ‘wouldn’t even recognize herself’ on the hit show.
However, since the series aired, fans have gone wild with possible theories about who each of the characters could actually be, with some claiming to have found Martha’s real identity.
Fans of the Taking to They literally changed the name and nothing more. “Surely they knew this would happen.”
Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd is criticized for “not doing enough” to hide the identity of his stalker after internet sleuths claimed to have found her online.
Another wrote: “I thought I said Martha’s character profile was so far removed from the original stalker that even she wouldn’t be able to relate.”
Referring to a woman fans believe is Martha, they continued: “If it’s her, it doesn’t seem too far away… either way, once I saw it I wondered how long it would take.”
Another agreed, saying: “Yeah there’s absolutely no chance they’ll be surprised to see this falling apart so quickly and easily lol.”
Someone else wrote: ‘Did people actually find the real Martha’s Twitter and engage with it? A well-known crazy stalker is who people want to interact with? It’s not possible.’
Another said: ‘It bothers me that the show didn’t do enough to hide his identity in the first place. If it’s not her, then they’ve implicated the wrong person. And if he is, who knows how he would take it. So wrong. And like you say, I missed the point of the show.
People have suggested that enough details of the real stalker’s life and her messages to Gadd were included in the drama that amateur investigators were supposedly able to identify her online.
Similarly, as Internet sleuths try to track down Gadd’s abusive television executive, people in the public eye are beset by speculation.
Now Gadd has been forced to ask people to stop trying to solve it, because it is leading to false accusations against his friends.
The 34-year-old plays protagonist Donny in the Netflix series which is based on his own experiences of being harassed by a woman called Martha Scott, played by Jessica Gunning (pictured), and sexually abused by a high-ranking comedy agent. profile.
Fans of the Taken to They changed his name and they probably just knew that this would happen.’
He wrote on his Instagram page about how “people I love, have worked with, and admire” were being unfairly targeted.
He added: “Please don’t speculate about who the real-life people might be.” That’s not the point of the show.
Gadd previously said GQ: “We’ve done everything we can to disguise her to the point where I don’t think she’ll recognize herself.”
The comedian added that the story is based on an “emotional truth” rather than a “fact-by-fact profile of someone.”
He told the Independent at the time: ‘I can’t emphasize enough how much of a victim she is in all of this.
‘Bullying and bullying are a form of mental illness. It would have been a mistake to paint her as a monster, because she is not well and the system has failed her.
In the Netflix series, Martha receives a prison sentence for her crimes, but Gadd has not divulged the fate of her own stalker, except to say that the problem was resolved and that she never wanted to “throw someone who was at that level in prison.” of mental discomfort”. ‘.
Now Gadd has been forced to ask people to stop trying to solve it, as this is leading to false accusations against his friends.
In the Netflix series, Martha receives a prison sentence for her crimes, but Gadd has not divulged the fate of her own stalker, except to say that the problem was resolved and that she never wanted to “throw someone who was at that level in prison.” of mental discomfort”. ‘
Since the show aired, fans have gone wild with possible theories about who each of the characters could actually be, with some claiming to have found Martha’s real life on X, formerly known as Twitter.
When asked if the release of the show could increase his obsessive behaviors, Gadd told the outlet, “I have to admit, it doesn’t.” Maybe seeing this in the press has made you think twice about his behavior.’
Baby Reindeer delves into Richard’s harrowing experience of real-life harassment and brutal sexual abuse while playing a fictional version of himself named Donny Dunn.
Donny is inundated with 41,071 emails, 744 tweets, 350 voicemails and 106 pages of letters from stalker Martha, played by Jess Gunning. The series also details Donny’s horrific rape at the hands of his comedic mentor, Darrien, played by Tom Goodman-Hill.
Darrien convinces Donny to go to his apartment and get high, promising him that the television producers are interested in his work. However, while he is using drugs, he sexually assaults Donny several times.
Gadd has opened up about what it was like to recreate his trauma on the small screen and how he hopes it will help him in his healing process.
Reliving his ‘serious’ twenties, Gadd told Attitude: “It’s a big challenge, but I hope to have catharsis when the show comes out.”