Woman breaks silence after Baby Reindeer fans claim she’s Richard Gadd’s stalker

A woman has broken her silence after Baby Reindeer fans accused her of being Richard Gadd’s real stalker.

The acclaimed series has captivated audiences since landing on Netflix earlier this month, centering on Donny (Gadd), a struggling stand-up comedian who’s targeted by a stalker named Martha (Jessica Gunning). 

While Baby Reindeer is based on Gadd’s real-life experiences, the names of the characters have intentionally been changed — but that hasn’t stopped internet sleuths from obsessively trying to hunt down their authentic counterparts.  

Now, a woman who’s been accused of being the real Martha has spoken out, claiming she’s been the target of online harassment. 

Speaking to the Daily Record, the woman, who maintains her anonymity, said, “I’m the victim here, not Richard Gadd. I’ve had death threats as a result of his show despite the fact that a lot of the things he claimed are just not true.

“Someone online said, ‘If I find you I will kill you.’ A guy in North Carolina said that he and other people were going to stalk me like I am supposed to have stalked Gadd. I got two hours’ sleep last night. I thought, what if his supporters really do things like that?” 

The now-58-year-old, who has a degree in law from Aberdeen University, went on to say that she’s yet to watch Baby Reindeer but has “seen various things” about the series, including the cafe scene.

“The scene of me in a cafe with him which I have been shown did not happen,” she claimed.

“I was in a bar and they were all having a carry on making jokes about knickers and pants and God knows what. I was in company with him two or three times max with other people around. 

“It wasn’t a case of me going out with Gadd for a meal or going on picnics with him. There were always other people around and we have not slept together.”

“I was in Richard Gadd’s company on occasions but I didn’t stalk him like he claims. His story is that this is a gross intrusion into my privacy. I haven’t seen him for 12 years,” she continued. 

“I read that he had written that show for the festival four or five years ago and I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ This weekend I Googled and stories about Richard Gadd and Baby Reindeer were all over the place in flashing lights.

“I had been aware four or five years ago about him calling the character Martha and I saw the photo of the actress. I don’t think I look like that woman actress playing Martha.

“Like that Johnny Depp and Amber Heard thing, I feel I’m being persecuted like Johnny Depp. I’m the Johnny Depp in this situation being attacked by crazy people on the internet.”

Despite the influx of social media messages, the woman said she will “not be silenced” and wants to “get on” with her life. 

Referencing the moment she met Gadd, she added, “He was in a bar going on and on about it and treating me like a stalker and he said he liked to Google people and that he had read an article about me.

“He had clearly been putting it about the place that I was a stalker.”

Gadd himself took to Instagram this week to ask fans to stop speculating who the real-life Baby Reindeer characters are after British director Sean Foley was accused of being Darrien (Tom Goodman-Hill).

As well as confirming this not to be the case, the creator stated that it’s “not the point of our show.” 

“People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation. Please don’t speculate on who any of the real life people could be. That’s not the point of our show,” he wrote.

Many viewers have continued to mirror this sentiment after the Daily Record interview was shared online, with one writing on Reddit: “From her Depp comment, it really seems she still has no understanding of what she did. She still doesn’t deserve to be tracked down and exposed though. That’s a sick thing to do and anyone who does it is an online stalker.”

“I knew it would be a matter of time. So sorry this thing blew up and people wouldn’t let it go,” said another, while a third added, “I don’t know if giving this woman more attention is a good thing, she needs to be out of the spotlight in order to heal and work on her mental health, not given more excuses to act out.”

Baby Reindeer is streaming on Netflix now. You can check out our breakdown of Baby Reindeer’s ending and 10 movies and TV shows to watch next.