Who is Gary Reich? Meet the man falsely accused of being real-life TV director Darrien from Baby Reindeer
BABY Reindeer has really caused a stir, with fans trying to identify who the characters are based on.
However, some people have found themselves wrongly in the firing line which includes Gary Reich.
Who is Gary Reich?
Gary Reich is a Bafta-nominated director who is known for his work on comedy shows.
Over the years he has worked with numerous stars which includes Idris Elba on his Netflix show, Turn Up Charlie.
Other big shows Gary has been involved in, includes Noel Fielding’s The Mighty Boosh.
He is also known for being a producer on all three series of the BBC Three comedy, How Not To Live Your Life.
What is Baby Reindeer about?
Based on a compelling true story, Baby Reindeer follows struggling comedian Donny, whose life turns into a nightmare when he meets a woman named Martha.
After a simple act of kindness, his world is turned upside down.
Martha’s obsession with Donny begins to spiral and she relentlessly stalks him, sending him thousands and thousands of emails and turning up at his work.
This living nightmare then brings up Donny’s past trauma of abuse at the hands of a man called Darrien O’Connor.
In a flashback, we see him sexually assaulted by a comedy writer who was working as his mentor.
Baby Reindeer is actually based on the real life experiences of comedian Richard Gadd.
The comedian and actor has been very honest about why he included such a horrific part of his life in the plot of Baby Reindeer.
However, he has never revealed who the real life Darrien is.
Speaking to Radio Times he said: “On a fundamental level, you see sexual abuse in television – not all the time – but a lot of the time as an anonymous figure in the night.
“But a lot of abuse happens in power dynamics, work dynamics, relationship dynamics, all those kinds of things.
“I hadn’t really seen the psychological complexity of it too often on television and I really wanted to show the perniciousness of the grooming cycle, just as much as the abuse cycle.
“Abuse survivors can feel just as much shame about the idea of feeling duped or the idea of feeling manipulated.
“One of the feelings that was left with me after everything was, ‘God, I just feel so stupid’.
“I think being so honest, not just about the assault but how it got to that point, I hope will provide comfort for people who are maybe going through the same thing.”
Sexual assault helplines and support
IF you or someone you know has been affected by any issues raised in this story, there are institutions you can reach out to for help and advice.
You can contact the rape and sexual abuse support line run by Rape Crisis England and Wales on 0808 500 2222, or use the online chat (both are free and are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year).
Alternatively you can call the 24-hour freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247.
Remember, it is never too late to speak up.
What has Richard Gadd said?
Richard has asked fans to stop speculating as to who his Baby Reindeer characters are based on, which includes the character of Darrien.
It comes after another director, Sean Foley, was also wrongly accused by a group of armchair detectives.
Posting on Instagram, Richard said: “People I love, have worked with, and admire (including Sean Foley) are unfairly getting caught up in speculation.
“Please don’t speculate on who any of the real life people could be. That’s not the point of our show.”
Gary has yet to respond to the false allegations, but Sean posted on X, formerly Twitter, and wrote: “Police have been informed and are investigating all defamatory abusive and threatening posts against me.”
Baby Reindeer by numbers
The Netflix series has become quite the breakout smash hit...
- 7 Number of episodes in the series
- 30 Number of countries the series has topped the Netflix chart in
- 64 Percentage increase in viewers the show earned in its second week, compared to its first
- 97 The show’s percentage score on industry bible Rotten Tomatoes
- 41,071 Amount of emails Richard claims he was sent by the real life Martha
- 13.3 million Number of viewers who tuned into the show during its first week