While the series My Little Reindeer a hit on Netflix, controversies are piling up around the identity of the real Martha. A shame for a series on harassment.
Don't offer a simple cup of tea to a stranger: this could be the slogan of My Little Reindeer, which tells the true story of harassment suffered by comedian, author and creator Richard Gadd over several years. In this Netflix series, which has not left the top 10 since its release, the actor looks back on dark periods in his life, and especially on his unhealthy relationship with Martha, his stalker.
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But, sometimes, reality catches up with fiction, even based on real facts, and several controversies have arisen in recent days around the creation of Netflix. We summarize the situation for you, but Beware of spoilers in the remainder of this article if you have not yet seen the series.
Who is the real Martha of My Little Reindeer ?
Martha is obviously only a nickname and the identity of the real culprit is never revealed in the series nor in the one-man show by Richard Gadd which is based on My Little Reindeer. Many elements of the character's history have thus been changedto protect the person who harassed the author in real life.
Unfortunately, these few script precautions were not enough to prevent Internet users from nurturing an obsession with Martha, to the point of absolutely wanting to find the “real” one. Some theories have even been relayed by the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom, arguing that in reality, Richard Gadd's stalker would be a man.
Spectators therefore wanted to investigate, but above all triggered a wave of harassment and death threats against the one they accused: a Scottish woman who spoke anonymously in the Daily Record. She says she is currently considering filing a defamation complaint.
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Did the real Martha really harass Richard Gadd?
In his speech to the Daily Recordthe one who claims to be the “real” Martha also denounced the ” lies “ from the Serie. The 58-year-old woman claims to have already met Richard Gadd, but that she never harassed him as he claims and that she has not seen him again for 12 years.
She even draws a comparison with the legal case between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, believing that it is ” persecuted ” as the actor of Pirates of the Caribbean and that she is “the victim of crazy people on the Internet”. For her, Richard Gadd “now uses My Little Reindeer for (the) stalker »with a scenario that invites “bullying an older woman for fame and fortune”.
How did it end for Martha in real life?
In My Little Reindeer, Martha is finally arrested following yet another voicemail in which she threatens Donny to stab him and his parents. The harasser is then sentenced to a prison sentence of 9 months and a restraining order of 5 years. The reality is very different, since the real Martha only received a removal order, according to Richard Gadd, who, according to him, did not want to send her to prison.
Who is the real Darrien of My Little Reindeer ?
In the series, Richard Gadd also talks about Darrien, a British director and author who sexually assaulted him on several occasions. Internet users, who thought they had found the true identity of her rapist, accused director Sean Foley, who filed a complaint for defamation. Richard Gadd himself had to write a post on Instagram, reshared by Sean Foley on Xto defend his friend and invite Internet users to stop doing research on the subject: “That’s not what the series is about.”did he declare.
What can we learn from these controversies?
It is tragically ironic to note the effects of My Little Reindeer on the fans. The series rightly denounces the thousand and one nuances of a harassment situation, treating very difficult subjects with sensitivity and offering an unflattering portrait of the two main protagonists, victims or executioners. Thanks to the seven episodes, we better understand the complex psychological mechanisms of this type of situation, which ultimately turns into an unhealthy obsession on both sides, due to numerous traumas.
A disturbing but necessary storyline bias, which should have dissuaded any viewer, however well-intentioned, from carrying out the investigation to find and punish the real protagonists. The devastating effects of harassment are thus perfectly described in My Little Reindeer, which clearly indicates the need not to reproduce these consequences on new victims. The media whirlwind in which Richard Gadd and his potential attackers find themselves also poses the responsibility of Netflix, which has, for the moment, not taken a position on the subject.
