close
close

first Drop

Com TW NOw News 2024

‘Baby Reindeer’s’ Richard Gadd Talks About the Series’ Impact
news

‘Baby Reindeer’s’ Richard Gadd Talks About the Series’ Impact

There may be a libel lawsuit looming and questions still lingering about what does and doesn’t constitute a “true story” for TV, but a jubilant Richard Gadd preferred to focus on the good that his semi-autobiographical show Baby reindeer the world has brought.

“It’s easier to focus on the negative things these days,” Gadd told reporters after winning his third Emmy for Baby reindeerAt the Primetime Emmys on Sunday, the limited series won Emmys for Outstanding Series, Outstanding Screenplay, Outstanding Actor (Gadd) and Outstanding Actress (Jessica Gunning).

“I think you have to look at what Baby reindeer “worldwide,” Gadd said of the show, which tells the chilling story of the abuse and stalking Gadd faced as an aspiring comedian in his 20s. “I mean, how many (homes) have watched it worldwide? It’s about 80 million. On Netflix, it’s about 20 million that have watched this show. It’s touched so many people’s lives. For charities in the U.K., there’s been an 80 percent increase (in donations) to sexual abuse charities, 53 percent of which Baby reindeer. But no one seems to talk about it. The show has done phenomenal things for so many people worldwide, I stand by that.”

RELATED: Emmy Parties 2024 Photo Gallery: UTA, SAG-AFTRA & Gersh Celebrate in Style

Last week, a federal judge set a May 6 start date for the $170 million defamation lawsuit against Netflix over Baby reindeerThe lawsuit from Gadd’s stalker Fiona Harvey, who was partly the inspiration for the character Martha Scott on the show, was filed on June 6 (read it here).

In Baby reindeerthe stalker was jailed, although the woman involved said she had not received a conviction. Nevertheless, the show had a “true story” label.

RELATED: Emmy Awards Photos: The Best of the Red Carpet

The “ongoing debate” over its authenticity has exhausted Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos, who recently told The Times of London newspaper that it was “no one’s intention to recklessly use a label” to Baby reindeer. “That’s Richard’s true story. The fact that you’re watching it on television tells you that parts of it are definitely fictionalized and dramatized.”

He added that he was “proud of the show and the way Richard handled the story.”