The Real-Life Story Behind Baby Reindeer's Martha Scott: Speculations and Facts

NOTE: When reading remember that some real-life events differ from the show's portrayal.

Baby Reindeer is the newest Netflix hit show that surprised the audience with its unfiltered storytelling and overwhelming plot. The director and main character of the show, Richard Gadd, guides us through the experiences he's endured in the past. He openly discusses some of the most traumatic moments of his life, including being stalked, and experiencing sexual and mental abuse. The main point of the show is to depict both the good and the bad aspects of a victim's mindset and what it is actually like to go through such terrible experiences.

Martha Scott is the name of Donny's stalker in the show. While we feel deeply disturbed watching her actions and behavior, what makes it even worse is the fact that she is inspired by a real person who did the same things. Richard Gadd has discussed the real Martha numerous times and has given some details about how his stalking story unfolded in real life. Find out what happened to Richard Gadd's real-life stalker and how it differs from the events in Baby Reindeer.

Martha Scott's Role in Baby Reindeer

What started as an innocent kind gesture ended up as a nightmare for Donny. The sympathetic nature of the main character made it impossible for him to be rude to a woman who had some mental problems. However, this allowed Martha to slowly creep into different aspects of Donny's life.

As she became obsessed with him, she became a regular at the bar he was working at, spammed him with countless messages, and even started appearing in other places where he went. Everything turned even worse when Donny made it clear that he had a love interest - Terry. Martha showed her psychotic tendencies by harassing Donny, Terry, and even Donny's parents. Her unthinkable actions could hardly be described.

Despite Martha's behavior, Donny always ended up sympathizing with her. He had his twisted reasons for not completely cutting ties with her, mostly caused by his past traumas. However, at some point, even Donny had enough and finally reported Martha to the police. It took a very long time until he could gather solid proof to show the authorities that her actions were not normal and were dangerous. At the end of the show, Martha ends up in jail and Donny is left to figure out how to deal with the mental and emotional trauma all of this caused him.

What Happened to the Real Martha? 

As you may know, the show is based on Richard Gadd's real story. Most of the events depicted in the show are portrayed exactly as they occurred in reality. However, you might be surprised to learn that Baby Reindeer's Martha didn't face the same "destiny" as the actual woman who stalked Gadd in his twenties.

In the final episode of Baby Reindeer, Martha is imprisoned for nine months and receives a five-year restraining order. However, when discussing the real situation he was in, Richard Gadd never mentioned anything like that. On the contrary, in an interview with The Times, Gadd said that he "didn't want to throw someone who was that level of mentally unwell in prison."

With this statement, he confirmed that the real-life Martha never went to jail. It is unknown why this came to be, but as of now, it is speculated that the real Martha has stopped her stalking and stays away from the comedian.

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