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, according to writer/creator Richard Gadd, based on a true story. He 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:

• Gadd has 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.
• In the series, Martha, Donny’s stalker, is ultimately arrested and jailed. It’s a neat ending on-screen, but Gadd didn’t reveal the true fate of his real-life stalker.

However, while Gadd hasn’t straight up named his alleged stalker, she – or a woman who believes herself to be represented as a stalker in the show – has seemingly outed herself. Fiona Harvey, the woman in question, spoke out in an interview with Piers Morgan. You can watch the full interview here, but Harvey believes that while Gadd may not have named her, she’s recognizable enough that people know it’s her.  

That said, in the interview, she mentions that she’s not actually watched the show but claims she has received death threats and online harassment over it. The interview is quite a watch, and in it, Harvey paints a very different picture.

For example, she claims that her first meeting with Gadd involved him interrupting her when she was speaking to another barman. “It’s pretty rude to interrupt, so he seemed to be obsessed with me from that moment onward,” she said (via E! News)

So, is Fiona Harvey pursuing legal action? There’s been no confirmation that a lawsuit is happening, but things have got a little more complicated with another recent revelation. As reported by The Scottish Sun, an MP’s wife who says she was stalked by Harvey is now talking about taking legal action against her for statements made during the interview.

Related: Is Netflix’s Ripley Getting a Second Season? Answered

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, according to its writer/creator, heavily autobiographical.

So, the answer to whether Netflix’s Baby Reindeer series is based on a true story is yes, and it seems as if there’s going to be more real-life drama to follow.

Baby Reindeer is streaming now on Netflix.

The above article was updated on 5/30/2024 by the original author to add additional information about the real-life events surrounding Baby Reindeer.