Netflix hit ‘Baby Reindeer’ sparks real-life drama and lawsuit

Richard Gadd, the creator and star of the Netflix series Baby Reindeer, has faced challenging times since the show’s release due to online harassment and in-person confrontations.

The show, inspired by Gadd’s real-life experiences, tells the story of Donny, a character stalked by a woman named Martha after he shows her kindness at the pub where he works.

However, the series has sparked controversy, with Fiona Harvey claiming to be the inspiration for Martha and filing a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging inaccuracies in the storytelling.

Speaking to Deadline about the show, Gadd said: “I hope that the legacy of Baby Reindeer that remains is really the kind of good that it did. The charity stuff, the comments from people who were moved by the show, and the way it helped them understand themselves. I think trauma responses are so difficult to understand when you’re going through them. To see a trauma response play out on a television show, I think, has been very comforting to people.”

Even though he has “explored every dark corner” of himself for the play, according to Gadd, the “trauma” of the experience still causes him problems on certain days. 

Although he believes the drama is about “loneliness, isolation, and the desperate need for connection,” the comic said, pointing out that many people view it as a “stalking show.”

Reflecting on why he decided to delve into his personal experiences, he said: “I guess I was bored of artistic narratives where the central person is nothing but good. Life is very complicated, and people are a mixture of positive and negative. I wanted to show that, to bring that out in the world.

“I think we live in an age of almost moral enlightenment right now, where everyone is terrified of saying the wrong thing. So, to put my hand up in that age of moral enlightenment and be like ‘Oh, yeah, I made these f****** stupid mistakes’ was very daunting, and it’s still daunting in the aftermath in a lot of ways. 

“But I think, at the same time, it has led to an appreciation of bringing the nuance back to the discussion about people, and people not being either good or bad, but being a little more nuanced than that.”

Baby Reindeer is now streaming on Netflix.