{"id":50187,"date":"2024-04-24T19:03:46","date_gmt":"2024-04-24T17:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=2030399"},"modified":"2024-04-24T20:08:41","modified_gmt":"2024-04-24T18:08:41","slug":"baby-reindeer-creator-and-star-urge-viewers-to-stop-speculating-about-real-life-characters","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/baby-reindeer-creator-and-star-urge-viewers-to-stop-speculating-about-real-life-characters\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby Reindeer creator and star urge viewers to stop speculating about real-life characters"},"content":{"rendered":"

“That’s not the point of our show.” <\/p>

By Katelyn Mensah\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 24 April 2024 at 17:03 PM<\/p>

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Richard Gadd has urged those watching Baby Reindeer to stop speculating on who the characters could be in real-life, following a surge of internet sleuths attempting to figure out the real identities of each person portrayed.<\/p>\n

The series, which has shot to the number one spot on Netflix\u2019s top 10, is based on real-life experience of<\/a> Richard Gadd (portrayed as Donny), who has previously spoken of being stalked and harassed by a woman (called \u2018Martha\u2019 in the series and played by Jessica Gunning<\/a>) after offering her a drink on the house at the pub he worked at.<\/p>\n

The seven-parter explores trauma Donny faced and how it impacted his parents, his girlfriend Teri (played by Nava Mau) and his ex-girlfriend and her mother \u2013 with each character being based on a real person.<\/p>\n

A separate storyline also sees Donny become the victim of sexual assault, which Gadd based on his own experience of abuse.<\/p>\n

Following its premiere on Netflix, director Sean Foley explained that he had contacted police after he was falsely accused by fans online of being the comedian\u2019s abuser.<\/p>\n

Foley wrote on X<\/a>: \u201cPolice have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response to the false claims, Gadd released a statement on Instagram, urging people not to speculate on the real-life counterparts to the characters.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation,\u201d Gadd wrote. \u201cPlease don\u2019t speculate on who any of the real life people could be. That\u2019s not the point of our show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gadd\u2019s statement was also shared by Foley on X.<\/p>\n

\"Richard\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Richard Gadd as Donny and Jessica Gunning as Martha in Baby Reindeer.<\/span><\/figcaption> Ed Miller\/Netflix<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Jessica Gunning, who portrays Martha in the series, has also spoken out against those speculating on the identity of Gadd\u2019s stalker.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would urge people not to be doing that,\u201d she told Glamour<\/a>. \u201cI think if that is happening, I think it\u2019s a real, real shame, because it shows that they haven\u2019t watched the show properly. That\u2019s not the point of it in any way.\u201d<\/p>\n

She continued: \u201cNetflix and Richard went to extreme lengths to try and make sure that the identities were kept private for a reason\u2026 I deliberately didn\u2019t want to do an impersonation of somebody. I wanted to do an interpretation of this character.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gadd previously told Variety<\/a> that he and Netflix had gone to \u201csuch great lengths\u201d to disguise Martha, \u201cto the point that I don\u2019t think she would recognise herself\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s been borrowed is an emotional truth, not a fact-by-fact profile of someone,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n