Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos defended Richard Gad, creator of the streamer’s hit show Baby Reindeer, amid ongoing lawsuits. The show featured Donnie (Gad) being stalked by a mentally ill woman named Jessica Gunning’s Martha. Despite its skyrocketing success, the story, which is said to be based on a true story, led to a lot of legal troubles.
The alleged real-life Martha, who was identified by netizens, sued the streaming platform for $50m (£39m) for a number of charges including defamation and infliction of emotional distress. Speaking to the Times of London, Sarandos said he was “proud of the show and the way Richard handled the story” despite the legal issues.
The stalker in the show was eventually arrested, but the real-life perpetrator received no punishment, which contradicted the ‘true story’ tag given to the show. Netflix’s CEO admitted that the label was inadvertently “casually” used, but called it “Richard’s true story”.
“What you see on television shows that parts of it were certainly fictionalised and dramatised. I’m surprised that it’s being constantly debated,” he said.
In the same interview, Sarandos assured that the platform will continue to produce original shows like The Gentlemen and Bridgerton in the U.K. When asked about his favorite non-Netflix show, he named the Emmy-winning show The Bear, which streams on Disney+. Starring Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebri, the show is a kitchen drama that revolves around a young chef’s challenges as a budding entrepreneur. “It takes TV to a higher level, which I love,” Sarandos said about the show.
As for Baby Reindeer, it was nominated for the most prestigious television honor, the Emmys 2024 in the Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series category. Gad has also earned a nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category. The show is available to stream on Netflix.
