Richard Gadd, creator of ‘Baby Reindeer’, wants you to stop speculating about the real-life people who inspired the show

Richard Gadd, the creator and star of new Netflix drama Baby Reindeer, has pleaded with viewers to stop speculating about the true story behind the series.

The series, which is based on a one-man play by Gadd, and his real life experience, follows a struggling comedian who is being relentlessly stalked by a woman named Martha.

Over the course of the series, Martha harasses Gadd’s character Donny, following him home, impacting his relationships, turning up at his workplace and repeatedly sending him disturbing emails.

A disclaimer at the start of the first episode tells viewers that the series is a true story, leading some viewers to speculate over who in Gadd’s life might represent the characters in the show.

Richard Gadd from Baby Reindeer has now personally asked everyone to stop speculating. There are real people being affected by all of this. The internet is fucking insane. #babyreindeer pic.twitter.com/GsEFupqsZ8

— laura (@laura020360) April 22, 2024

As such, Gadd has taken to Instagram to ask viewers to refrain from investigating people in his life, and speculating about the real people and events which inspired the series.

A post on Gadd’s Instagram story began: “Hi everyone, people I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.”

He continued: “Please don’t speculate on who any of the real life people could be. That’s not the point of our show. Lot’s of love, Richard x X”.

This comes after Foley, who played Darrien on the show, launched a police investigation after he received “defamatory, abusive and threatening” messages online from viewers believing he is the real abuser depicted in the series.

Police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me.

— sean foley (@SeanFoleyJ) April 23, 2024

Gadd also recently told Variety that he did honestly “felt sorry” for his stalker, as does his character in the show. “Stalking usually is depicted as someone who is kind of evil, whereas I felt like there was a vulnerable person who genuinely couldn’t stop, who for whatever reason had believed the reality that was inside her head and no matter what couldn’t change from that,” he said.

“I mean, it is a mental illness and I wanted to portray that. I did see
someone who I felt sorry for.”