Warning: This article contains discussion of rape and sexual assault which some readers may find distressing
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you'll know all about the buzz surrounding Baby Reindeer.
The chilling Netflix drama, which is written by and stars Richard Gadd, tells the comedian's 'true story' of how he was relentlessly harassed by a stalker, named Martha.
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Following the release of Baby Reindeer, fans have tirelessly speculated on the real life characters, leading police to launch an investigation after one man was falsely accused of being the abuser in the harrowing TV programme.
In one particularly shocking episode of the Netflix series, Richard is groomed and raped by a TV comedy writer named Darrien, who was played by Tom Goodman-Hill.
People online have since shared their speculation of who the real-life person behind the character, with some wrongly pointing to Sean Foley in a series of 'defamatory, abusive and threatening' social media posts.
Sean took to X himself last month (23 April) to share a statement following such claims.
It reads: "Police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me."
Sean also previously re-posted a screenshot of one of Richard's Instagram stories in which the 35-year-old comic penned an emotional statement.
Richard wrote: "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."
He signed off: "Lots of love, Richard x X."
Since then, Richard has opened up about his 'hardest day on set', revealing that the scenes most difficult to film were 'the Darrien stuff'.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, he recalled: "It was really difficult going back there.
"I remember going to set for the diary days, the sexual assault days, and we sandwiched them together so it wasn’t so spread out.
"I think it was the right thing to do, so that it would only be two or three days where we had to stay in that zone."
He also revealed that he would be 'hoping for a major traffic jam' whilst en route to set during those days to have 'another beat to prepare and wrap [his] head around it to think'.
Richard continued: "The actor who plays Darrien, Tom Goodman-Hill, what a legend.
"I felt really safe with him, really comfortable. It’s weird to shoot a scene that you know have to shoot but don’t really want to. He was such a pro, such a good actor that he made it so much easier."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.
Topics: Baby Reindeer, Netflix, TV And Film
Rhiannon Ingle