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Why You May Never Know Who Martha From Baby Reindeer Really Is
Creator and star Richard Gadd has asked fans not to investigate his real-life stalker.
The Netflix show on everyone’s mind right now, including Cardi B’s, is Baby Reindeer — and no, it’s not about an actual baby reindeer. Created, written by, and starring Richard Gadd, the limited series sees his character befriend a woman named Martha at his workplace, who soon becomes his stalker and ruins every relationship in his personal life.
While Baby Reindeer, adapted from Gadd’s 2019 one-man play, is inspired by his own experiences with stalking, he had to change many details for legal reasons. His character is now named Donny Dunn, meaning that his real stalker’s name isn’t Martha.
“It’s all emotionally 100% true, if that makes sense,” he told Variety in a recent interview. “It’s all borrowed from instances that happened to me and real people that I met. But of course, you can’t do the exact truth, for both legal and artistic reasons... And obviously, we were very aware that some characters in it are vulnerable people, so you don’t want to make their lives more difficult.”
Gadd Hasn’t Revealed His Stalker’s Identity
For those reasons, Gadd has not revealed the identity of his own stalker, and he asked fans not to investigate in an Instagram Story posted on April 22. “Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be,” he wrote. “That’s not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard.”
He can also not divulge what happened to his stalker or whether she has attempted to reach out to him following Baby Reindeer’s success. “I can’t answer any of that, really,” he told Variety. “But yeah, due to where things ended in real life, it’s not a concern for me.”
As reported by The Guardian in 2019, the stage play confirms that Gadd’s stalker is indeed a woman and grapples with the gender reversal of most stalking narratives — although the character is simply represented by a stool. The play also reveals that he received 41,000 emails from “Martha” over the three-year ordeal, and she had been harassing his family and friends until shortly before the play.
Gadd Has Empathy For “Martha”
However, as reflected in the Netflix show, Gadd’s empathy for his stalker explains why her identity is hidden. “Stalking usually is depicted as someone who is kind of evil,” he told Variety. “I felt like there was a vulnerable person who genuinely couldn’t stop, who for whatever reason had believed the reality that was inside her head and no matter what couldn’t change from that.”
When turning Martha from a prop into a human for the Netflix show, Gadd wanted an actor who had his stalker’s energy and essence, and cast Jessica Gunning. “I needed to see someone who was vulnerable one moment, angry the next, volatile but so desperate and sympathetic,” he said. “That’s very hard to do from an acting point of view, but Jess seems to have it in her pores.”
If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) website, or call 1-800-950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK(8255) or call 911.
