The Netflix series "Baby Reindeer" has become the center of another real-life controversy involving alleged death threats and accusations.
The series, which delves into comedian Richard Gadd's harrowing experiences with a stalker, has inadvertently embroiled a Scottish woman in a serious predicament.
A Scottish woman, who some fans of "Baby Reindeer" believe to be the real-life inspiration behind the character Martha Scott—a stalker portrayed in the series—has come forward to declare her innocence and claim victimhood.
Speaking to The Daily Record, which chose to protect her identity, the woman expressed her distress over the situation.
"I'm the Victim Here"
The woman detailed a troubling backlash resulting from the show's portrayal of the stalker, Martha Scott, played by Jessica Gunning.
Despite Richard Gadd's efforts to shield the identities of real-life counterparts, the woman claims to have faced severe repercussions.
"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," she told The Daily Record.
She mentions that she hardly gets any sleep these days and that she genuinely fears some of the threats will become reality.
She acknowledges that she has been in the comedian's company several times, but she also insists to the media that she has never stalked him.
The Fallout of Fiction
Richard Gadd's own experiences with stalking—which involved over 41,000 emails, 350 hours of voicemails, and 106 pages of letters—might have inspired the series, but the fallout affects more than just the parties directly involved.
Fans' zeal in unmasking the 'real' Martha led to online sleuthing that not only targeted the woman but also others unrelated to the show, such as a man falsely accused of being another character who committed assaults in the series.
This man, too, faced harassment severe enough to involve police intervention, as confirmed by a spokesman for a British police force.
