Is Netflix's Baby Reindeer Series Based on a True Story?

Baby Reindeer, as with more than a few shows and movies, claims that it’s based on actual events. But is it really? Or does it take a leaf out of Fargo‘s book? If you’re wondering whether Netflix‘s Baby Reindeer series is based on a true story, here’s that answer.

Is Netflix’s Baby Reindeer Series Based on a True Story?

Baby Reindeer is indeed based on a true story. Writer/creator Richard Gadd was stalked by a woman and was also the subject of the abuse featured in the series. Gadd previously created a one-man show based on his stalker experience and was approached by Netflix to turn it into a series.

Gadd also plays Donny Dunn, the show’s main character, which can’t be particularly easy since he was recreating experiences he’d gone through. In the show, he played all the roles, but here, actress Jessica Gunning is playing his stalker.

The series is, as you might expect, slightly fictionalized. There are least a couple of differences, though. Here are a few:

In the series, Martha, Donny’s stalker, is ultimately arrested and jailed. It’s a neat ending on-screen, but Gadd hasn’t shared the true fate of his real-life stalker. Gadd has also previously written a show, Monkey See, Monkey Do, about his sexual assault, but there’s no viral footage of him breaking down during a regular comedy performance, as Donny does in the show.

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The whole “based on a true story” trope has been misused by many films and movies. Sometimes, what you see on screen is only loosely inspired by real events. Or, in other cases, like with Fargo, it’s a complete lie. But Baby Reindeer is indeed heavily autobiographical.

So, the answer to whether Netflix’s Baby Reindeer series is based on a true story is yes.

Baby Reindeer is streaming now on Netflix.

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