RICHARD Gadd has revealed how he felt bad for his real-life Baby Reindeer stalker and “didn’t want her thrown in prison”.
The comedian and writer, 34, also blames himself for for encouraging the stalking and admitted to making “so many bad mistakes”.
Baby Reindeer, based on a true story, details Gadd’s four-year horror of being stalked by a woman who became obsessed with him after meeting at a pub in Camden he worked in.
The Netflix hit drama also reveals how Gadd was groomed, drugged and raped by a well-known figure in the comedy industry.
In the show, Gadd plays a fictionalised version of himself and is recovering from the trauma when he first meets Martha, before offering her a cup of tea.
But the gesture of good will began a campaign of harassment and stalking that saw him bombarded with more than 41,000 emails, 744 tweets, 100 pages of letters and 350 hours of voicemails.
Gadd, though, says he felt bad for his real-life stalker and didn’t want her jailed.
He told The Times: “I felt a great deal of empathy for the real-life Martha.
“I didn’t want to throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell in prison.”
Instead, Gadd admits errors with his own behaviour.
He added: “I made so many bad mistakes, behaving with a certain degree of vanity. I wanted to own up to them.”
The psychological thriller hit number one on Netflix soon after its release on April 11.
Gadd went to extreme lengths to hide the identity of his stalker “to the point she wouldn’t recognise herself” in the seven-episode series.
His efforts included deliberately changing the names and locations involved.
Asked about her identity, he said he cannot say a great deal but the situation is “resolved”.
But obsessed internet sleuths have been trying to unmask her and claim to have found the real online accounts.
The stalker, played in the series by Jessica Gunning, is claimed to be law graduate Fiona Harvey.
Fiona, a law graduate from Scotland, last week came forward claiming fans of the show were accused her of stalking Gadd in real life.
But she vowed to sue Netflix, claiming she will “kick their asses” in court.
She told the Scottish Sun: “I have a claim against Netflix as this is being billed as part of a true story.
“I’m a highly competent lawyer. I’d have to do it myself. I’m very good.
“I have a photographic memory and can memorise huge files. I was top in my school at everything.”
She has also been left furious over how she is portrayed in the series.
Fiona added: “I am very attractive. He’s not Brad Pitt. There’s a fat actress that’s supposed to be me.”
Gadd, though, has continued to insist that sleuths avoid speculating over the identities of those involved.
Taking to social media this week, he wrote: “People I love, have worked with, and admire… are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.
“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show. Lots of love, Richard.”
Baby Reindeer by numbers
THE Netflix series has become quite the breakout smash hit...
- 7 Number of episodes in the series
- 30 Number of countries the series has topped the Netflix chart in
- 64 Percentage increase in viewers the show earned in its second week, compared to its first
- 97 The show’s percentage score on industry bible Rotten Tomatoes
- 41,071 Amount of emails Richard claims he was sent by the real life Martha
- 13.3 million Number of viewers who tuned into the show during its first week
