Baby Reindeer has been getting a lot of traction in communities across Hollywood. On top of the series’ stellar reviews, its immersive premise has hypnotized its viewers into obsession. The story follows Donny, who is faced with one of the most terrifying possibilities for many people; a stalker. As many fans have come to know, the concept of the show is based on the real-life experiences of Richard Gadd, who plays the protagonist and also created the series.
During the promotion of the series, the actor revealed that he was sexually assaulted and stalked in his twenties, which led to the creation of the show. Unfortunately, there was one aspect he did not see coming.
Since the mention of his past trauma, fans of the series have become obsessed with trying to find the culprit behind what happened to Gadd. They have made several accusations, to the point that the creator has had to comment.
Baby Reindeer Fans Go Too Far
Internet witch-hunts are some of the most intense and dangerous phenomena in Hollywood. Dedicated fans scour the industry trying to find the culprit to a mysterious crime, with little to no clues. If someone is a suspect, their entire world will be burned down. If they find the one responsible, they show no mercy. The most recent example of this is Richard Gadd‘s Baby Reindeer.
Since the person responsible for Donny’s trauma in the show was a TV comedy writer named Darrien, many fans attempted to put two and two together and turned to Sean Foley, a writer and director who has been linked with Gadd in the past.
Soon, the hate and the accusations came pouring in, and he was being painted in a very poor light. Considering how such swarms of hate can easily destroy careers, Foley was not having any of it.
Police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me.
— sean foley (@SeanFoleyJ) April 23, 2024
In an X post, he stated that he had involved the authorities in the conversation as he had been incorrectly identified as the culprit. He also mentioned that those who have been sending “defamatory, abusive and threatening posts” will be looked into by the police.
Baby Reindeer Has Turned Into Something Unexpected
Considering just how much hate Sean Foley and others who have been accused are getting, it would seem that Richard Gadd has had enough. In an Instagram story, via Metro, the actor mentioned that people who have been a part of his life at some point, or those he has looked up to, are being dragged into a witch-hunt he did not want to happen in the first place.
“People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation. Please don’t speculate on who the real-life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.” wrote Gadd.
Specifically name-dropping Foley, Gadd added that he does not want fans to go around looking for who did what to him. He wants audiences to focus on the story, as a public prosecution was not what he intended when he was making the series.
Baby Reindeer is available for streaming on Netflix.
