The True Story of Netflix's Baby Reindeer Series. Who Is Martha?

On April 11th, Netflix released its newest 7-episode show called Baby Reindeer. The show quickly gained a lot of popularity, not only because of its intriguing dark and traumatic plot but also because of its strangely realistic aspect. Viewers are left wondering whether the TV show is based on a true story or not. The answer is - yes. As shocking as it might be, the events that take place in Baby Reindeer are based on reality. Check out the real stalker story that inspired the show below!

Baby Reindeer Plot 

The new Netflix miniseries follows the story of amateur comedian Donald Dunn and his shocking experience with a female stalker. The thrilling series delves into Richard's entanglement with Martha Scott, which led to a dark turn of events and profoundly affected his life.

Baby Reindeer is an overwhelmingly intense show that effectively portrays the thoughts of a victim faced with such dark circumstances. Director Richard Gadd (yes, you guessed it) also plays the lead role, allowing him to perfectly present his ideas and plans for the series to the audience.

Baby Reindeer's Origin and Real Story 

NOTE: Baby Reindeer is based on the real-life experiences of Richard Gadd, with some artistic changes.

When watching Baby Reindeer, you might strongly feel that the story is a little too realistic. Well, that's because it is. The most shocking part is that the show is based on the director's real-life experiences. That's right. Richard Gadd is not only acting in the show that he wrote but also expressing the real emotions that he went through. It's both amazing and sad to see how well he can portray his inner thoughts.

Richard Gadd has been very open about his thought process regarding the show and his experiences with the real Martha. It is a fact that when he was in his early 20s, he was stalked for 4 years by a woman. You can already imagine how things went based on the events in Baby Reindeer. She constantly went to his comedy shows, showed up at his house, and sent him thousands of messages and voicemails (41,071 emails and 350 hours of voicemail, to be precise), and that's not even half of it! Richard Gadd's real-life stalker was about 20 years older than him, and just as the title of the show suggests, also called him Baby Reindeer.

From falling in love with an amazing trans woman to getting sexually assaulted by an older man in his early years as a comedian, the whole show serves as a dark and vulnerable autobiography of the director.

Baby Reindeer received an astounding 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is significantly rare, showing how big of a global hit the show became in a quick second. While facing his trauma, Richard Gadd bravely addressed the serious stalking issue that has been commonly experienced by many in England and Wales. With its gripping storytelling and unique perspectives into the mind of a stalking victim, Baby Reindeer is a must-watch show you might want to check out if you haven't already.