The real life fact that is scaring 'Baby Reindeer' fans

Netflix viewers have been raving about one of the streamer’s newest dramas, Baby Reindeer, which is based on lead actor Richard Gadd’s actual experiences with a stalker.

The show stems from the star’s one-person show of the same name, which he used to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He channelled his encounters with a woman who quickly turned into a terrifying stalker into the comedy show before adapting it for the big screen.

Gadd wanted to ensure that his depiction of stalking was realistic, depicting the effects of the ordeal on both parties. In Baby Reindeer, the fact that the stalker, Martha, is suffering from a mental illness is not ignored. Meanwhile, the fear and relentlessness of the situation is not lost on Gadd’s character, Donny. 

He explained to Netflix’s Tudum, “Stalking on television tends to be very sexed-up. It has a mystique. It’s somebody in a dark alley way. It’s somebody who’s really sexy, who’s very normal, but then they go strange bit by bit.”

However, this isn’t strictly realistic. “I really wanted to show the layers of stalking with a human quality I hadn’t seen on television before,” Gadd continued. “It’s a stalker story turned on its head. It takes a trope and turns it on its head.” 

For many viewers, making the show even more unnerving is the discovery that all of the emails shown on screen are actually real. Over the course of events, Martha sends Donny 41,071 emails – something that actually happened to Gadd. 

Every time we see one of Martha’s obsessive emails, we see real messages Gadd received from his stalker, according to Netflix, who revealed the chilling fact on Twitter. 

The emails are full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Some of the messages we see include, “baby reindeer if u didnt want me comin to ur house then why u keep wakling the canal home?” and “u not ben in pub for a whil e reindeer?? whats going on.” 

Not only did the real-life Martha send Gadd copious emails, but she also delivered over 350 hours of voicemails, messaged him on other platforms like Facebook, and even posted gifts. 

Since it was released on April 11th, the show has been receiving rave reviews from critics and viewers who praised its blend of thrilling content and humour.