Gadd said people close to him were “unfairly being targeted for speculation”. Some people notified police after viewers associated them with the characters. The creator avoided identification, even using pseudonyms for the names of his characters. He is an ambassador for We Are Survivors, a charity dedicated to helping male survivors of sexual abuse.
In “Baby Reindeer” the character Darrien repeatedly sexually assaults Donny, in addition to supplying drugs. He is played by actor Tom Goodman-Hill.
The identity of Martha, who stalks Donny for several months before he reports her to the police, is also speculated. The two meet when she visits the bar where Donny works in Camden (London). He feels sorry that she doesn’t have money. Martha becomes obsessed with him and starts sending countless emails, as well as showing up at her house. She refers to Donny as “baby reindeer”. She is played by Jessica Gunning.
“Baby Reindeer” began as a one-man show in which Gadd performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019. It later transferred to London’s West End and won an Olivier Award.
