“Baby Reindeer” is the new event series by Netflix, among the most viewed in the history of the platform. Tens of millions of viewers made it come first in the national rankings of the most watched and appreciated products. However, the murky story of a comedian victim of stalking would have many dark sides in real life, with a character who in real life would not be exactly like the one described in front of the cameras.
The true Martha she decided to come out in a very popular interview in the United Kingdom, which divided the public between those who consider her a dangerous person and those who instead identify her as the true victim of a reverse narrative. But let’s go in order.
Record-breaking “Baby Reindeer” on Netflix: the plot
“Baby Reindeer” explores the turbulent life of Donny Dunn, a comedian dealing with the difficulties of life who spirals into violence and abuse after a gesture of kindness towards Martha, a woman with a disturbing past. Played by Richard Gadd, Donny finds himself trapped in a disturbing cycle of obsession and manipulation when his female fan begins to relentlessly stalk him.
The stalking triggers a series of events that force Donny to face trauma and abuse he suffered in the past. The protagonist tries to manage his career in stand up comedy and establish a relationship with Teri, whom he met online, while Martha’s behavior becomes increasingly dangerous.
“Baby Reindeer” explores themes such as consent, trauma, identity and the search for redemption with new narratives. However, not everyone knows that the Netflix series is based on one true story and is played by the same man who experienced it firsthand.
The True Story of “Baby Reindeer”
When he was in his early 20s, the Scottish comedian Richard Gadd he was actually the victim of stalking by an older woman who over four and a half years wrote him over 40 thousand emails, 700 tweets, 100 letters and sent 350 hours of voice messages and very special gifts. Among these is the puppet of one little reindeerthe “Baby Reindeer” of the series title.
According to the man’s story, the real Martha would have waited for him outside his home and followed him to work and on pub stages. As her Netflix alter ego she also allegedly harassed people close to Richard. As seen in the fourth episode of the mini-series, the comedian had already suffered in real life too sexual abuse by his mentor, a television writer, with serious repercussions on his psyche.
The real Martha’s interview on TV
Before the debut of the series, the producers had ensured that they had constructed the character of Martha in a way that no one could trace back to her true identity of the woman. Only a few days later, however, internet users managed to trace the 58-year-old Scotsman Fiona Harvey. Given the great success achieved by “Baby Reindeer”, the woman chose to tell the story own version of the story to British journalist Piers Morgan.
During the interview she spoke about an “obscene” and “defamatory” media product that is causing her serious problems in real life: she has in turn become a victim of stalking, receiving death threats and dozens of calls. She clarified that she had never been investigated or convicted of stalkingthat he never called or emailed Richard Gadd or stalked his girlfriend.
Fiona Harvey’s accusations against Netflix
Fiona Harvey accused the comedian of being “out of his mind”, questioning his mental health. “He is lying, they’re all lying”, he added, launching a harsh accusation at Netflix. “They passed off Baby Reindeer as a true story, but it’s not true at all!”, he declared again. “Leave me alone, please“, he concluded, referring to Richard Gadd himself.
The interview caused mixed reactions in the UK. There are those who have accused Piers Morgan of lacking professionalism and of having given space to a disturbed person, with the intention of distort reality to create an audience. On the other hand, there are those who have taken Fiona Harvey’s side and are now starting to wonder if everything that was shown in the series actually corresponds to the truth and if Richard Gadd is the real victim.
