Richard Gadd, the man behind the new smash-hit Netflix Baby Reindeer, has taken to social media to reassure fans after sharing the traumatic details of his real-life stalking ordeal
Richard Gadd, 34, has taken to social media to let people know he is okay as his gripping new Netflix series shocks viewers across the globe.
Written by and starring Gadd, Baby Reindeer is sending shivers down the spines of viewers nationwide as it portrays the terrifying escalation from a simple act of kindness to a relentless campaign of stalking and obsession.
Gadd plays the role of Donny Dunn in the new mini-series currently dominating social media conversations. Baby Reindeer follows what happens after Dunn, a bartender and aspiring comedian, offers a free cup of tea to a woman at his workplace.
This seemingly harmless gesture triggered an obsessive onslaught from Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, amounting to over 40,000 emails, 740 tweets, 350 hours of voicemails, 100 pages of handwritten letters, and 45 Facebook messages over five years. Baby Reindeer is inspired by Gadd's own experience with a stalker and sexual abuse, making the drama even more harrowing for some viewers.
Taking to Instagram on Sunday, Gadd shared a screenshot of his Netflix account, showing Baby Reindeer as the most watched show in the UK that day, and told his followers: "Number 1. Thanks to everyone for tuning in and making this possible and for all your lovely comments too. I am okay, for those asking. I promise."
"Binged it. Brave writing and even braver performance. Incredible stuff," one Instagram user wrote underneath Gadd's update, with another adding: "As I watched your show, I was wondering how this felt so real. Only to find out that it is real. Thank you so much for telling your story. I'm blown away by the level of authenticity and vulnerability. No wonder your show and performance has touched our hearts so deeply."
A third told Gadd: "This is an utter masterpiece. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a depiction of sexual abuse and the subsequent fallout, self destruction and self hatred that it causes that person and all those around them played out on a TV screen before and challenge anyone to do so well after. The fragility of the mind and its nuances as it tries to process and make sense of the catastrophic events that have happened to them and their battle to make sense of anything thereafter."
The true tale behind Baby Reindeer began about a decade ago, when Gadd was making waves on the UK comedy scene and producing several successful shows including Breaking Gadd, Waiting for Gaddot and Monkey See Monkey Do. However, amidst his stage triumphs, Richard was privately dealing with an obsessive stalker who became unhealthily fixated on him after he offered her a free cup of tea at his workplace. This seemingly innocent act triggered a relentless campaign of harassment and intimidation from the unnamed woman, turning his life into a living nightmare.
"At its peak, it was almost unbearable," the comedian confessed to Channel 4. He detailed how she would frequently show up at his performances, arrive uninvited at his home, and shower him with gifts like hats and boxer shorts, all while inundating him with endless messages at all hours.
"There's an issue of codependency, of attachment, where this person genuinely believes that the other person is an answer to all of their problems," he shared with the broadcaster. "I believe that the person who stalked me was a very vulnerable character. I believe she was someone to be sympathised with."
Gadd, unable to get the woman to cease her actions, later sought help from the police for some legal solution. The messages were non-threatening but so incessant that they made his life feel "suffocating". Unfortunately, the police couldn't offer much assistance as the crime wasn't deemed a high priority.
This lack of support was one of the reasons Richard was driven to write 'Baby Reindeer'. Writing the play and later the series became a form of therapy for him, while also highlighting the harsh realities faced by stalking victims. A decade after the nightmare began, Richard's stalker is now legally barred from approaching him or anyone he knows. Yet, the impact of the stalking lingers.
In a 2019 Telegraph interview, he reflected: "I think about that rule that you need four things in your life to be happy. Family, love, health, career. She managed to drive a freight train through every single one of those in quite an unbelievable way."
*For confidential support, contact the ManKind Initiative on 01823 334244 (open weekdays 10am to 4pm). The helpline is a listening service which provides emotional support, practical information and signposting. They also have also produced a directory of local services (called the Oak Book) which support male victims and helps to find services in their community. For more information visit Homepage - Mankind
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