Baby Reindeer star Richard Gadd has said how his stalking ordeal left him feeling suicidal.
The Netflix show documents Richard’s own true story in a series he wrote and stars in as lead character, Donny. It follows his life as it spirals out of control amid the obsession and relentless harassment by his delusional stalker, Martha.
Richard was determined to tell his harrowing tale and received critical acclaim when debuting his material at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Its success led to a further live production at London’s Bush Theatre in 2019.
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In a candid interview at the time, Richard opened up about the emotional toll the traumatic experience had on him – leading him to contemplate taking his own life.
(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
“I felt there was almost a moment in my life where I felt completely depleted by what happened to me,” he told the i newspaper. “And I felt there was no going back from this. I thought that I was done.
“My brain was forever changed. I was forever in this period of depression and doubt and anxiety.”
(Image: Netflix)
Richard soon bagged two awards – the Scotsman Fringe First Award for new writing and The Stage award for outstanding performance. He continued: “I clawed my way back from the absolute precipice of suicide, really – and that award showed just how hard I fought. For me, it was always much more than a reward. It was me showing that I was stronger than I ever thought I was.
“And I know that might sound weird or it might sound arrogant or whatever, but I needed that. I needed something I could hold or something I could show.”
(Image: Netflix)
Richard recently explained that he wanted the exposure on Netflix to “show the layers of stalking” which he “hadn’t seen on television before”.
“Stalking on television tends to be very sexed-up, he said. “It has a mystique. It’s somebody in a dark alley way. It’s somebody who’s really sexy, who’s very normal, but then they go strange bit by bit. But stalking is a mental illness.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
