Baby Reindeer creator Richard Gadd has been accused of “recklessly” dating an actress at the same time she was also auditioning for a role.
Reece Lyons, who wrote a series of tweets about the experience, said the comic had “conflated” the two processes and that it had hurt her.
However, a source close to Gadd insisted tonight that he had no say in the final casting of the hit Netflix series.
It’s the latest twist in an already gripping story that surprises TV sensation Gadd, who was cleared of any wrongdoing by Baby Reindeer producer Clerkenwell Films after his affair with the actress.
Some 14 million people have been poring over every detail of Gadd’s much-discussed darkly comic drama based on his real-life experiences of being stalked by a woman, ‘Martha’, after meeting her in a London pub.
The show shows Martha’s obsession develop as she emails Gadd hundreds of times a day, appears outside his house, and harasses his family and friends.
Over the past week, the focus has been on Martha and her real-life version, who complained bitterly that Gadd was harassing her and not the other way around.
Some 14 million people have been poring over every detail of Richard Gadd’s much-talked-about comedy drama (pictured), based on his real-life experiences of being stalked by a woman, ‘Martha’.
Reece Lyons (pictured), who wrote a series of tweets about the experience of dating Gadd and auditioning for his show.
But now Gadd faces claims from actress Lyons, who auditioned to play the role of his transgender girlfriend Teri in the drama.
Lyons, who is transgender, said she met Gadd at the bar after he attended one of her stand-up performances.
She wrote on X: ‘He started telling me about his upcoming Netflix show that he had written. The role in question was that of her ex-girlfriend, a trans woman.
‘I told him I was interested in auditioning and asked him to contact my agent at that time. “But there’s another thing,” she said. ‘That?’ I replied. ‘I find you really attractive.’
Ms Lyons tweeted: “I said I didn’t think combining the upcoming audition and hanging out at the same time was wise, and he said he understood.”
However, the couple went on four dates between October and November 2021.
Mrs Lyons wrote: ‘What happens if I say no? Does that mean he would feel slighted and I wouldn’t have the opportunity to audition?
The show shows Martha’s obsession develop as she emails Gadd hundreds of times a day, shows up outside his house, and harasses his family and friends.
For the past week, the focus has been on Martha and the real-life version of her, who complained bitterly that Gadd was harassing her and not the other way around.
Ms. Lyons, who is transgender, said she met Gadd at the bar after he attended one of her stand-up performances.
Ms Lyons tweeted: “I said I didn’t think combining the upcoming audition and going out at the same time was wise, and he said he understood.”
‘He hurt me. I also understand that there was no conscious intention to do so.
She stressed that she does not see herself as a “victim” of any “abuse.”
But he warned others to be careful not to get involved in a recruiting process “where someone is simultaneously combining a job opportunity with a dating dynamic.”
The casting of Baby Reindeer was carried out by the production company Clerkenwell Films. The Hollywood website Deadline, which broke the story, said it understood Gadd did not have final approval for the casting of Baby Reindeer, but he did give feedback to Clerkenwell Films on the audition tapes.
A source close to Gadd emphasized that he had no say in the final casting decision, saying: “Richard Gadd ended any potential romantic relationship in December 2021, three months after the formal casting process for Baby Reindeer began.” .
In the end, Lyons did not get the role, but it went to actress Nava Mau.
On Twitter, Lyons does not name Gadd or directly reference Baby Reindeer, but Deadline said it had verified his identity.
The website claimed Clerkenwell Films had investigated Ms Lyons’ comments after she informed the company about her X posts.
In the end, Lyons did not get the role, but it went to actress Nava Mau (pictured).
Baby Reindeer has conquered the world
Gadd wrote for the show and based it on his own experiences of being bullied and abused.
He said Gadd had not previously disclosed her romantic relationship with Clerkenwell and that Lyons was not interviewed by phone or in person as part of the investigation, and the correspondence was in writing.
A Clerkenwell source said her account and other evidence was sufficient to conclude that Gadd had behaved professionally and that casting decisions were not compromised.
Deadline said Ms. Lyons did not wish to comment beyond her X thread.
The publication added that sources close to Gadd did not deny that there were talks about an audition during the period in which they dated.
The Mail has contacted Gadd and Clerkenwell Films for comment.