Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
A lawyer has disclosed which Baby Reindeer scenes should’ve been left out of the Netflix show so that the identity of the ‘real-life’ Martha could’ve been better protected.
Richard Gadd’s dark series, Baby Reindeer, tells a fictionalised version of the comedian’s harrowing real-life experiences of stalking and sexual assault.
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The show, starring the 35-year-old Scottish star as protagonist Donny Dunn, begins with the bartender offering a drink to convicted stalker Martha Scott (played by Jessica Gunning).
What transpires after their meeting is months of harassment, distressing flashbacks and an eventual conclusion that echoes Donny’s first encounter with the former lawyer.
If you’re yet to watch the seven-episode show, then check out the Baby Reindeer trailer below:
Due to the drama-thriller being based on Richard’s one-man show of the same name, it didn’t take long for Netflix subscribers to begin speculating on who each character could be based on.
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A woman thought to be the ‘real-life Martha’ was later identified online and was invited onto Piers Morgan’s Uncensored YouTube channel.
Following Fiona Harvey’s interview with the 59-year-old journalist, Rory Lynch, a lawyer specialising in defamation and privacy at Gateley Legal has had his say.
Speaking to MailOnline, he claimed showrunners should’ve worked harder to safeguard the identity of the series’ real-life inspirations.
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Rory said that Martha actress Jessica, 38, could’ve concealed the women’s identity by using a different accent.
He also claimed casting directors could’ve elected to change the woman’s gender to make her more difficult to pin down.
“Making her different, maybe doing it the other way around and making it a man as the stalker rather than a woman,” he told the publication.
“Or, you know, just changing it up a bit more as there are obviously so many similarities.”
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He also argued that including real-life details such as the character being a Scottish lawyer who lived in Camden allowed fans to launch a witch hunt.
"I would just try and make it as different as you can to what actually happened while still getting the story across.
"Not Scottish, and not a lawyer and not having a bar in London, but perhaps set it in a library in Manchester or something like that."
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Following Baby Reindeer’s premiere on April 11, Richard took to social media to plead with fans not to ‘speculate on who any of the real-life people could be'.
At the time, he added that it was 'quite sad' and 'not the point of the show at all’.
Earlier this month, Netflix’s policy chief Benjamin King attended a UK parliamentary hearing and claimed the streaming service was satisfied with safeguarding measures.
“[Netflix and Clerkenwell Films] took every reasonable precaution in disguising the real-life identities of the people involved in that story,” he said.
Benjamin continued to claim it was ‘very difficult’ to control what subscribers do and that he personally ‘wouldn’t be comfortable’ living in a world where the media ‘silenced’ Richard’s experiences.
LADbible Group has previously contacted representatives of Netflix and Gadd for further comment.
Topics: Baby Reindeer, Entertainment, Netflix, TV And Film, Real Life
Ella Scott