‘She moved into a flat near me and sent out engagement invitations’: True stories of Irish male stalking victims

The popular new Netflix series Baby Reindeer highlights the extreme obsession of a stalker. Here, men who have struggled with this harrowing experience share their stories

Richard Gadd in Baby Reindeer on Netflix

Tanya Sweeney

When it began airing on April 5 on the streaming giant Netflix, the drama Baby Reindeer racked up 2.6 million account views in its first four days. Within a week, that global figure jumped to nearly 14 million.

The show has been praised for its nuanced examination of the complexities of stalking. In it, a struggling comedian/barman Donny (played by the show’s writer/creator, Richard Gadd) offers a cup of tea to a crying patron Martha (Jessica Gunning), who in turn becomes infatuated with him.