Richard Gadd secures new Netflix deal despite impending ‘Baby Reindeer’ lawsuit
Despite the recent controversy surrounding the Richard Gadd-led television drama Baby Reindeer, it seems his chances of working with Netflix haven’t been affected. In fact, he has just secured a new deal with the streaming platform amid a forthcoming $170 million lawsuit.
Back in April, Baby Reindeer spent over a month at the top of Netflix’s streaming charts, achieving a special position as the tenth most-watched Netflix series of all time. Based on Gadd’s alleged real experiences, the show followed an aspiring comedian working in a Camden bar and his tumultuous relationship with the mentally ill Martha Scott.
However, controversy soon stirred when a woman claimed to be the real-life Martha Scott and blamed Gadd for framing her in a negative light under the guise of the show being based on a true story. As a result, she began legal proceedings against Gadd on the grounds that she had been incorrectly portrayed.
Earlier this year, a source close to The Sun claimed that Gadd had been in talks with the streaming site about striking a new deal that would enable him to continue telling real-life stories similarly. Though details on the details or the shows he plans to create remain sparse, the source claimed the deal “reflects just how much Netflix wants to keep him ‘in house’ following the incredible response to Baby Reindeer.”
More recently, Netflix boss Ted Sarandos confirmed the rumours at an announcement at the Royal Television Society conference in London, confirming that the streamer supports Gadd and is looking forward to working with him on future projects.
When asked if Netflix had made a mistake when describing Baby Reindeer as a true story, he said, “We are facilitating storytellers to tell their stories.” On the new deal, he added, “This is Richard’s true story. We finished [signing] our first-look deal with Richard Gadd to do his next work at Netflix. We’re very proud of Richard and proud of the story he told and the way he told it.”
Expanding on the unrelenting controversy surrounding the show, he continued, “We’re watching it performed by actors on television — we think it’s abundantly clear there’s dramatization involved. And I would also point out this is a uniquely British debate, this debate is not happening anywhere else in the world about Baby Reindeer.”
This follows previous statements by Netflix about its position in the ongoing feud, which claimed it intends to “defend this matter vigorously” and stand by Gadd and his right to tell his story.