“Baby Reindeer,” the Netflix drama that shot to the streamer’s No. 1 slot, set out to offer a close, complex look at mental illness and how sufferers can become entangled in each other’s struggles. According to its millions of viewers, it succeeded. But the show is now also reshaping how fictionalised crime stories are perceived and consumed, after a wave of online amateur investigation drew in lawyers and police.
Written by Scottish comedian Richard Gadd and based on material he previously explored in acclaimed one-man fringe theatre shows, the series follows a depressed Scottish barman named Donny, played by Gadd, as he becomes entangled with a female customer, “Martha Scott,” who stalks him relentlessly, sending more than 41,000 emails, 350 hours of voicemail, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, and 106 pages of letters.
In recent days, the show’s writer, its cast, and the real individuals believed to have inspired its characters have all been pulled into a heated public debate. Social media sleuths have worked to identify the real people behind the fictionalised story, leading to at least one case of misidentification. A high-profile man wrongly linked to a sex crime depicted in the show is now threatening legal action against those who named him.
Media lawyer Mark Stephens of Howard Kennedy warned that the trend of online amateur investigation carries serious risks. “The new culture of people trying to solve a crime, or becoming internet detectives, is incredibly dangerous,” he said, suggesting that the entertainment industry may eventually need to issue formal warnings discouraging viewers from conducting their own investigations, similar to instructions given to juries. He also suggested drama producers may need to take additional steps to disguise real individuals, beyond simply changing names, to prevent identification or misidentification.
Nigel Tait, managing partner at Carter-Ruck and head of its defamation and media department, offered a different legal perspective, noting that producers are generally only liable for the content they broadcast. “That’s what matters legally,” he said. “It is nothing to do with them what people do afterwards online. If they have taken some care, it is not really their responsibility.” He added that internet platforms could face liability if notified of harmful content and failed to act.
Jessica Gunning, who plays the stalker character and has received widespread praise for her performance, urged fans last week to stop trying to track down the real woman behind the role, who is a convicted serial harasser. “It’s a real, real shame,” she said, “because it shows that they haven’t watched the show properly.” Despite her appeal, the momentum proved difficult to contain.
A woman has since come forward publicly, claiming to be the real “Martha,” with details and reactions that align with the tone of the emails depicted in the series, which Gadd drew from real correspondence with his own stalker. She has disputed key elements of the show’s portrayal, stating she barely knows Gadd and has faced harassment online as a result of the speculation. Her account of events remains contested.
Gadd himself has repeatedly asked viewers to stop speculating about the real identities behind the show. “Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be,” he wrote on Instagram. “That’s not the point of our show.” He has also defended the steps taken to protect those portrayed, saying the character was disguised to the point that he doubts she would recognise herself, and that the show borrowed emotional truth rather than factual detail.
Gadd occupies a complicated position in the controversy. While he holds power as the show’s creator and storyteller, he is also a survivor of sexual abuse at the hands of an influential entertainment figure referred to in the show as “Darrien,” whose real identity remains unconfirmed. In the series, Donny explains his delay in reporting Martha’s stalking as connected to his unprocessed abuse, citing the discomfort of pursuing accountability for her while continuing to shield his abuser.
Many viewers have noted that while Martha is portrayed with notable sensitivity, the show’s true antagonist is widely seen as Darrien, played by Tom Goodman-Hill, a figure Gadd first addressed in his earlier 2016 stage show, “Monkey See, Monkey Do.” That anger has fuelled efforts by fans to comb through Gadd’s career history in search of clues to the real abuser’s identity.
That search has already produced one serious misstep. Tony-nominated actor, writer, and director Sean Foley was wrongly accused last week of being the inspiration for the character.
Gadd publicly defended Foley and asked fans to stop, but Foley said he had nonetheless been subjected to abusive and threatening posts. “Police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me,” he wrote on X. West Midlands Police confirmed they are investigating reports of threatening messages, stating that enquiries are at an early stage.
Beyond the legal questions, a broader moral debate continues over whether the show should have been made at all, even among some of its admirers. Supporters of the format point to other acclaimed dramas built on real trauma, including Michaela Coel’s “I May Destroy You,” in which Coel later confirmed she drew on her own experience surviving sexual assault. “Part of my heart hopes that people who have had experiences that are traumatic watch this and feel less alone,” she has said of her own work.
Sam Hobkinson, director of the Netflix true-crime documentary “Lover, Stalker, Killer,” said audiences will always be drawn to real stories, and that creators bear responsibility once a project reaches a mass audience. “Once something is being watched by so many millions, it will take on a life of its own,” he said. “There is a duty to realise that fact, and in our experience every care was taken.”
