‘I’m the victim’ — Baby Reindeer’s alleged stalker reacts to the Netflix series

Jody Coffey

**Trigger Warning: Some readers may find the topics discussed in this article uncomfortable or distressing**

Spoilers ahead

Since Baby Reindeer landed on Netflix, the internet has been buzzing with sleuths on a mission to uncover the true identities of characters in Richard Gadd’s harrowing retelling of his stalker ordeal.

In the series, Gadd, who plays a fictionalised version of himself named Donny Dunn, experienced years of intense and pervasive stalking from an older woman, who, for anonymity, is called Martha Scott (played by Jessica Gunning).

Over two years, he was subjected to more than 40,000 emails, 350 hours’ worth of voicemails, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, 106 pages of letters, as well as a variety of bizarre gifts.

The Netflix drama series also shares moments where ‘Martha’ went as far as to harass his loved ones, including his ex-girlfriend ‘Keeley’, his parents, and ‘Teri’, a trans woman ‘Donny’ was dating.

Gadd has strongly discouraged fans of Baby Reindeer from trying to identify the characters.

However, it hasn’t stopped the woman who served as the inspiration for ‘Martha’ from being on the receiving end of ‘death threats and abuse’ from people who have identified her.

“He’s using Baby Reindeer to stalk me now,” the unnamed woman told the Daily Mail.

She accused Gadd of “bullying an older woman on television for fame and fortune” and says she is contemplating taking legal action against him, claiming he has “main character syndrome”.

“I’m the victim. He’s written a bloody show about me.

“He always thinks he’s at the centre 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.”

While the mini-series centres around the stalking ordeal, fans have also begun looking for another of Gadd’s past abusers, known fictionally as ‘Darrien’.

The darkest moments of the show depict ‘Donny’ being sexually abused by an older man who claimed he would help him launch his comedy career after meeting at the Edinburgh Fringe.

During the time they spend together, ‘Darrien’, who is a TV writer, takes advantage of ‘Donny’ by sexually abusing him whilst in drug-induced unconsciousness.

Amid Baby Reindeer’s success, one of Gadd’s friends in real life has been wrongly accused of being the man who abused Gadd and he has since clarified the misinformation.

“People I love, have worked with, and admire… are unfairly getting caught up in speculation,” he wrote on Instagram Stories.

“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.”