Baby Reindeer: Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning put on a united front as ‘real Martha’ speaks out

Emmy Griffiths
·3-min read
Jessica Gunning (L) and Richard Gadd attend the screening of Love Lies Bleeding
Jessica Gunning (L) and Richard Gadd attend the screening of Love Lies Bleeding (Simon Ackerman)

Baby Reindeer stars Richard Gadd and Jessica Gunning have put on a united front despite recent controversies surrounding the hit Netflix show. The pair, who play Donny and Martha in the real-life drama, smiled together as they posed on the red carpet for a screening of Kristen Stewart’s revenge thriller, Love Lies Bleeding.

The hit show, which became the number one trending show on the streaming platform, is based on Richard’s experience of being stalked - and internet sleuths now believe that they have found the real-life ‘Martha’, who has spoken at length about her perspective on the ordeal.

The woman, whom we will not be naming, has shared several Facebook posts discussing the show and her relationship with Richard, and opened up to the Daily Record about being fictionalised for the drama.

Speaking on the Daily Record, she said: “I’m the victim here, not Richard Gadd. I’ve had death threats as a result of his show despite the fact that a lot of the things he claimed are just not true. Someone online said, 'If I find you I will kill you'. A guy in North Carolina said that he and other people were going to stalk me like I am supposed to have stalked Gadd. I got two hours of sleep last night. I thought, what if his supporters really do things like that?”

Jessica Gunning (L) and Richard Gadd attend the gala screening of Love Lies Bleeding
Jessica Gunning (L) and Richard Gadd attend the gala screening of Love Lies Bleeding (Dave Benett)

She continued: “I have not watched Baby Reindeer but I have seen various things. I was in Richard Gadd’s company on occasions but I didn’t stalk him like he claims. His story is that this is a gross intrusion into my privacy. I haven't seen him for 12 years.”

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She added to The Scottish Sun: “I have a claim against Netflix as this is being billed as part of a true story. I’m a highly competent lawyer. I'd have to do it myself. I'm very good. I have a photographic memory and can memorise huge files. I was top in my school at everything.”

Martha the character in Baby Reindeer
Martha the character in Baby Reindeer (Netflix)

While Richard hasn’t spoken on the woman’s response to the show, he has posted on social media to request that people stop speculating on who the real life people are. The post read: “Hi everyone, people I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation. Please don't speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That's not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard.”

Darrien in Baby Reindeer
Darrien in Baby Reindeer (-)

Sean, a former theatre director whom viewers have accused of being a character in the show, shared a screenshot of the post on his own X/Twitter account, before adding: “Police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me.”