Like seeing your life fall apart because of a TV series. A woman referred to as the “real Martha” from the Netflix series Baby Reindeer claims to have received death threats after the enormous success achieved by the series itself.
Created and starring Richard Gadd, the series brings her real-life experience of stalking and sexual abuse to the screens, previously told on stage in his acclaimed one-man show.
Gadd plays Donny, a fictionalized version of himself, who is obsessively stalked by a woman named Martha after meeting her in a pub. The show also sees Donny deal with the trauma of being sexually assaulted by a television executive named Darrien (played by Tom Goodman-Hill).
Since the show’s release and despite pleas from Gadd and Gunning, fans have attempted to unearth the identities of the real people who inspired the characters of Baby Reindeer. Now, the woman who fans say is the inspiration for the character of Martha has spoken out against the show and its portrayal, claiming been the subject of death threats.
“I’m the victim here, not Richard Gadd,” the Scottish woman (who remained anonymous) said to Daily Record. “I have received death threats because of her performance despite the fact that many of the things she said are not true.”
The woman also said she was forced to survive on “two hours of sleep” a night due to the stress and worry caused by the alleged death threats. The woman continued by saying she didn’t see it Baby Reindeerbut added: “I have been in Richard Gadd’s company on a few occasions, but I have not stalked him as he claims. His story is that this is a serious intrusion into my privacy. I haven’t seen him for 12 years. I read that he wrote that show four or five years ago and I thought, ‘Oh my God.’ This weekend I googled and the stories about Richard Gadd and Baby Reindeer they were everywhere”.
The woman also criticized Gunning’s portrayal of herself, saying that she doesn’t “think she looks like that actress who plays Martha.”
The “real” Martha’s response to the series comes just days after both Gadd and Gunning urged viewers not to try to figure out the identity of the story’s characters.
Gadd wrote on his Instagram earlier this week: “People I love, have worked with and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly caught up in speculation and chatter. Please do not make any assumptions about who the real-life people might be. That’s not the point of our show. Much love, Richard x
