The British series Reindeerbaby premiered on Netflix on April 11, 2024. What sounds very cute at first, however, has a very serious background. The series landed in the top 10 in 13 countries in its first week and number 1 in the UK. It landed shortly afterwards Baby reindeer ranked first in more than 50 countries the Netflix charts.
What initially sounds like a huge success could now lead to a few problems from a purely legal perspective. It is a true story that based on the life of Richard Gadd. He is not only the author of the series, but also played himself as the main character.
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Baby Reindeer: The Story of Donny Dunn
Baby reindeer tells it Story by Donny Dunn, a comedian who wants to get started in the scene. He earns extra money as a bartender and that's where it all begins – both in the series and in real life.
Attention, you shouldn't read any further from here if you don't know the series yet or don't want to be spoiled.
In a pub, Donny meets Martha, who becomes one over the course of the series excessive stalker developed. The series is far from just about this already quite sensitive topic, but also about a trauma from his past.
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Donny, or the real Richard Gadd, was a victim of sexual abuse and told this story for the first time on stage as a one-man show in 2019. This then became the Netflix deal.
Gadd processes the trauma he experienced in the Reindeer Baby series. Incidentally, this is one of the many nicknames that his stalker (who of course wasn't named Martha) gave him. Gadd describes that the series 100 percent true emotionally is.
What happened to Martha?
In the series, Martha was convicted, but basically no one knows what happened to the “real Martha.” However, fans have searched the Internet for the real stalker and searched through Richard Gadd's profiles. They found what they were looking for. A name was circulating and now “the real Martha” has even spoken out herself.
But that's not all. The “real Darrien”, who is responsible for Gadd's abuse, was also sought – although there are only speculations about this so far. Martha, on the other hand, now has an identity. She self-confirmedthat she was the inspiration for Martha, but she also says that she has now been victimized by Richard Gadd.
He's using the Baby Reindeer series to stalk her now. She also claims that the comedian is now bullying an older woman on television – for wealth and fame.
The real Martha (whose real name is Fiona) believes that her anonymity was not maintained on the show. She is therefore thinking about whether she should oppose the series legal action based on defamation.
Gadd has also already spoken out and asked fans not to look for the real people. This could still be unpleasant for Netflix and Gadd. As successful as the series is, at least Martha's anonymity apparently could not be maintained.
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The series makers also claimed that they had changed the characters so much that the real Martha would supposedly no longer recognize herself. But she obviously already has that, because there are similarities both visually and in terms of profession, age and background. You can now find the best deals and expert advice on games, films, entertainment and more in the brand new one PCG Guide. All information about our new portal you can find it here!
Sources: Odds meter, Movie pilot, The Daily Mail