The creator of Baby Reindeer kindly requests fans to refrain from identifying characters
Content warning: This story discusses sexual abuse.
Richard Gadd is addressing speculation about his Baby Reindeer characters.
The comedian, who drew inspiration from his personal experiences with stalking and sexual assault for the Netflix show, has urged fans to refrain from trying to identify his abusers.
“Hi Everyone,” Gadd shared on his Instagram Story on April 22, as reported by Today. “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.”
He emphasized, “That’s not the focus of our show.”
Baby Reindeer follows the story of a struggling comedian who becomes the target of a stalker after an act of kindness. Since its debut on April 11, internet detectives have been trying to uncover the true identities of the characters, such as Martha the stalker (portrayed by Jessica Gunning) and Darrien the TV writer who manipulates Gadd’s character (played by Tom Goodman-Hill).