Piers Morgan interview with real Baby Reindeer Martha

[Luxell934]

I am strangely looking forward to hearing her side….shame it’s with Piers Morgan though 🙈

https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/tv/baby-reindeer-real-martha-piers-morgan-fiona-harvey-richard-gadd-112360-20240508

@rwalker do you know the actual facts about how women are treated who are the victims of abuse or stalking? I mean, the true facts rather than your imagination.

There is plenty of evidence out there that the vast, vast majority are not believed and are treated appalling. But I guess you get your evidence of the world from friends and bad newspapers. It also seems that you haven’t actually watched the whole of Baby Reindeer from what you say. Why spoil your opinions with facts (or adult literacy skills) though, right?

It’s not a race to the bottom there will always be worse crimes and circumstances

that doesn’t invalidate or minimise what happened to him

Reverse this here, turn this to a women being stalked in this way and the man being mentally unwell and would this still be your reaction?

It's also classic Mumsnet to turn this into a women v men debate once again.

RG was fully entitled to tell his story and he has been telling it for years now. Netflix went to him to create the show

Martha being 'found' shows the craziness of the general public watching it. The fact that Peirs Morgan is even giving her a platform is completely wild to me

I think it is hugely irresponsible of Piers Morgan to interview this women and thereby put more (negative, inevitably) attention on her. She seems to have no support around it and be significantly unwell.

I wonder if it was a man stalking a woman in this way if we would be letting him off so lightly and allowing him to play the mental health card?

Richard Gadd is a victim. He's not a "nice" one, or the idea of a perfect victim that people like to have in their minds. That's what makes it interesting. He is flawed, and made that perfectly clear.

But he was abused by this woman and has been performing the stage show about his experience for years and years. It's his story to tell, I think if he were a woman the reactions would be different and he'd be applauded for his bravery. I think it is brave of him to lay it all out there, including his own mistakes like he did and it's his decision on how he deals with his own trauma.

The fault here lies with the social media sleuths that went hunting for her and for Piers Morgan for exploiting a very mentally unwell woman by giving her a platform and turning even more attention onto her.

Completely agree. I saw no redeeming features with this series. Am completely baffled at the extraordinary success of the series and of Gadd. Both Gadd and ‘Martha’ are clearly unwell and it feels like watching rape and MH porn. Had to stop watching.

first of all, I don't think a woman would ever do this kind of show. Female victims of stalking are absolutely terrified of their stalker and don't want to do anything which might provoke them.

Secondly, he didn't attempt to disguise her, so she was extremely easy to find. There is no sleuthing involved to find her. She looks, writes and presents exactly as Martha, so very easy to find. Irresponsible of Gadd and of Netflix.

If a woman had groomed and sexually abused Gadd the press would be all over it but his identity has been protected is this man still powerful and that influenced the decision around this

The issue is that she was so easily identifiable this is what happens Netflix and Gadd would have absolutely known the response from the public but still did absolutely nothing to protect her identify the gave it to the public on a plate

a man stalking a women is likely to have panned out differently this isn’t the first stalker story to be told

I’ve wondered the same. And I wouldn’t be surprised to find out this is the case. Finding actors who look like the real life ‘perpetrators’ would have taken some time and effort. The actor playing himself but with a different name is very odd.

There’s also the device of having the whole story set around a pub in Camden which seems very storyboard.

The online breakdown too.

And the real life Martha commenting constantly on social media.

I think it’s interesting too that we have the two villains- one a male sexual predator. Gadd seemingly makes peace with this man.
The other is the female predator- she is mocked for her mental health issues. We the audience talk much more about Martha. Is it that the raping man is not as shocking or unusual as the stalking female? (For me that is the case). I just get the feeling this is what we are supposed to be looking at.

I’m not surprised Piers Morgan jumped in there first for an interview though. I would bet Louis Theroux tried to speak to her too. If it’s not an experimental piece then I think it’s very awful to exploit ‘Martha’. She would have been tricked and manipulated by Morgan I’m sure. Having said that I will definitely watch and I am interested in the story.

I would have preferred if it were Theroux doing it. I will watch later but we all know before it has started it will be a car crash.

This, with knobs on. So many of you have not actually seen the programme! How on earth can you comment on RG's behaviour?

It is one of the most extraordinary programmes I have seen, it is certainly not entertainment. Stephen King said it was the best thing he has ever seen on tv so that gives you an idea. It is very dark, very uncomfortable and very thought provoking. The acting, especially from Jessica Gunning is superb.

Richard Gadd does not show his character Donny as in any way a hero, he is every bit as critical of himself and his own decisions as he is of Martha. He is not afraid to portray himself as a deeply selfish (at times) and flawed human being who has also suffered from some incredibly damaging bad behaviour from others. He illustrates very well how victims of sexual assault and rape might feel they have been at fault and that they were partly to blame.

I actually think that the programme might do more for victims of stalking in future by raising awareness of what it is like, and it's a growing problem affecting more people as social media makes it easier to track people down.

As for getting treatment for Martha, you can't treat someone who doesn't want to be treated and doesn't really think there is anything wrong with their behaviour.

I agree with others that this shouldn’t be happening. She is already complaining about the interview and seems to take no accountability.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/baby-reindeers-real-life-martha-32762707.amp

It all feels grubby. Bringing her out to be mocked. No good will come of it.

I think it does more than raise awareness about stalking. It raises awareness of all different types of abuse and how it's not always easy just to report it or escape it.

His monologue at the end puts everything into perspective and you start to realise why he didn't just walk always from his abusers, why he didn't report things right away and how dangerous low self-esteem can really be.

How often have we seen on MN posts where the OP is quite obviously being abused but doesn't see it for themselves or makes excuses for the behaviour. To everyone on the outside it's a no brainer, LTB. But it's never that easy. I hope the show gives anyone who's ever suffered from abuse or is still stuck in a situation, reassurance that it is not their fault. Hopefully it gives them the courage to speak out.

@DelphineFox she reportedly has only been paid £250

Lol, would you say that about all stalkers? Seriously dude.

If a genie gave me three wishes, one of them would be that Piers Morgan disappeared from the public eye and no-one ever had to put up with his insufferable nonsense again.

I wish him no harm, but could really do with him going away tbh.

Is it a ‘growing problem’, is that true backed up by data? Prior to social media I wonder how many cases of stalking happened where people just didn’t report it:

£250??

God no, he'd simper all around

WraithBabe
Sadly, her Facebook and Twitter posts going back many years show it is all real. Richard Gadd didn’t have to write this show, he should have thought of the possible consequences for her and saying ‘she’s mentally ill, don’t go after her’ is a bit rich - the only reason she’s been hauled out of obscurity in the first place is his show. He is a very wealthy man, he could have arranged private mental health support for her.

@WraithBabe

You can't be for real, he should pay for for her mental health support ?!?
Have you seen her social media, the woman's a racist, homophobic, self obsessed piece of shit, she's responsible for getting mental health support, she clearly doesn't see anything wrong with her behaviour though!
I'm sure Richard Gadd can now afford private counselling for the mental health issues this woman caused him... Good for him! Help for victims of sexual violence pretty much falls on the shoulders of charities in my experience.

“the woman’s a racist, homophobic, self obsessed piece of shit”

I suspect her and Piers will get on just fine then 🤣🤣

She shouldn't be paid at all. Mentally ill or otherwise, she's subjected numerous people to campaigns of abuse and terror over the years. Her social media is a cesspit of hate and bitterness towards almost every minority you can think of. She's chosen to go to the press many times since sleuths tracked her down, reportedly subjecting one of the journalists to a barrage of voicemails and abusive messages. She needs to take some responsibility for her actions (as many of us with mental health diagnoses already do) and go seek some help.

I imagine so 😂

If she did what it is believed she has done yes she needs help but this idea a person can act how they want and then 'mentally ill' is used to excuse it is wrong