Baby Reindeer creator issues urgent plea to fans of the Netflix series: 'Not the point'

Trigger warning: this article contains references to stalking.

Baby Reindeer is the talk of the town, with the limited Netflix series racking up a huge audience - and even bigger audience reactions. The show, based on a true story, follows Donny, a Scottish comedian played by actor Richard Gadd, whose life takes a terrifying turn when he becomes the target of a relentless stalker named Martha Scott, played by Jessica Gunning. What unfolds is a disturbing tale of obsession, trauma, and resilience.

For viewers, what has unfolded - aside from a deep appreciation for the brilliance of the series - is a desperation to uncover exactly who each of the people in the show might be in real life.

One viewer on X (formerly Twitter) went so far as to proclaim that they had discovered who the real-life 'Martha' is, adding a video that showed the social media account of the person in question alongside key scenes from Baby Reindeer showing that there was an unmistakable similarity between the two women.

"I don't get how you could watch the show and think the right thing to do afterwards would be to expose this woman," one person replied under the video. "The text is absolutely unambiguous about whether or not she is just as much of a victim of society, and they have gone through great pains to anonymise her for..."

RELATED:

• Baby Reindeer viewers are traumatised by the Netflix series: 'Can't stop thinking about it'

• Can I Tell You a Secret? Netflix's new series explores the terrifying world of cyberstalking

• 'Lover Stalker Killer' brings a twisted tale of love, deception and digital danger to Netflix

Another said, "Y’all watched a show about stalking and went and stalked her. Please use logic for half of a second and delete this tweet."

"This is really upsetting," someone else added. "I hope for his sake it’s not her and you haven’t just given more exposure to someone who caused such suffering."

Adapted from Gadd's 2019 Edinburgh Fringe Festival stage show of the same name, the character of Martha Scott is inspired by the woman who stalked him for four and a half years. However, Gadd hasn't confirmed her identity for legal reasons, so Scott's real identity remains undisclosed.

Taking to his Instagram account, Richard Gadd also urged fans not to take it so far with a plea posted to his stories.

"Hi Everyone," he wrote. "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. Lots of love, Richard."

A screen grab of the story was posted to X with fans weighing in as to whether the request was reasonable.

"What exactly did he think would happen?" one fan asked while another wrote, "What was he expecting? Internet will do internet thing, people will speculate, abuse, harass, try to get to bottom of things. Is it ok? Eh, I’m not to judge. But it’s the reality."

"This was completely inevitable though," another suggested.

SHOP:

• The 'retreat in a box' that's saving tired mums: 'It makes me look after myself.'

• The gut powder that can banish IBS symptoms: 'It's changed my world'

• The 'amazing' new dry shampoo that repairs and protects your hair: 'It's a lifesaver

Gadd, who both stars in and wrote the series, drew from his own harrowing experience, during which his stalker sent him thousands of messages and physical items, including 41,071 emails, 350 hours of voicemail, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, and 106 pages of letters, along with a woolly hat, underwear, sleeping pills, and a stuffed cuddly reindeer toy.

The emails seen in the show after certain scenes are confirmed by Netflix to be the real messages that Scott sent Gadd at the time.

If you or someone you know is being stalked or monitored, you can call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit our website for online chat and video call services.

Want the latest celebrity news? Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.