The series has modified some elements related to its creator's stalker in order to respect his anonymity.
41,071 emails, 350 hours of audio messages, 744 tweets, and 106 pages of written correspondence. Screenwriter, actor and comedian Richard Judd He was harassed for 4 and a half years by a woman he invited for a drink at the bar where he worked To earn a living in his twenties. The entire time his stalker was “active,” not only was Jade the object of her obsession, but the comedian’s environment was also threatened.
a A truly terrible and painful experience Which Richard Judd became the subject of a play in 2019 starring himself and which, after receiving high praise at its debut at a festival in Edinburgh, ended up gaining notoriety in the UK. now, The autobiographical story that Gad shared in the first person on stage also became a Netflix series: A short series of seven episodes, each lasting only 30 minutes My stuffed reindeerwhich quickly became a hit on the platform that we can now describe as One of the best series that 2024 leaves us with.
On Netflix: New, quirky miniseries with half-hour episodes that continue to gain popularity on the platform
Created and starring Jad himself for the streaming platform, My stuffed reindeer –Reindeer babyIn its original version, it is described as a dramatic comedy characterized by dark humor, but… The truth is, it's very worrying.: The serious nightmarish harassment that protagonist Donnie (Gad) suffers is preceded by another truly traumatic experience, and despite the tone the miniseries can sometimes take, it tackles truly sensitive topics with a ruthlessness that deserves warning.
Although the series “is not far from reality,” as its creator and victim confirmed in statements to… GQ, Some details My stuffed reindeer They modify certain aspects of the true story on which they are based, starting with the name of a serious stalker, Martha Scott, who is not called that name in real life.
The character played by Jessica Gunning in the Netflix series responds to the same name that Richard Gadd gave her in his play, but the truth is that the creator and protagonist of the novel never revealed the real name of the woman who harassed him for a long period of his life, as well as his real profession or the physical characteristics that he responded to. she has. “We did everything we could to hide her to the point where I don't think she recognizes herself.” The screenwriter explains in the same interview. It appears that the decision that was taken came from a place of sympathy on the part of the victim towards her attacker rather than avoiding any kind of legal consequences. “[Cuando hay representaciones ficticias de hechos reales ] “Things have to change to protect people.” Radio Times.
Realizing that his stalker had a mental health issue, Gad never wanted to reveal the real Martha, whom he described as a “stable” person who needed help – via guardian-.
In reality, Although in the series Martha ends up spending 9 months in prison for harassing and threatening Donnie and his entourage for years, in real life Richard Judd did not want prison for someone he considered mentally ill. in My stuffed reindeer Martha pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to nine months in prison, while Donnie was also given a five-year restraining order against Martha. In real life, Gadd was also granted a restraining order against his real stalker, but there was no prison sentence.
This is how it was revealed times In a recent article:
It has been solved. I had mixed feelings about this: I didn't want to send someone with that level of mental distress to prison.
In September 2019, when the play premiered, Jade had already said that “Martha” was free and that although she respected the restraining order, she had recently stopped harassing her friends and family, anticipating that she would watch the show. Reindeer baby In the press it “made her think twice about her behaviour”.
