Miranda Cosgrove reflects on her own stalking experience after watching Netflix’s Baby Reindeer – eight years after stalker set himself on fire and fatally shot himself in her yard
Miranda Cosgrove has reflected on her own stalking experience following the success of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, eight years after her stalker set himself on fire and fatally shot himself in her garden.
The 30-year-old former child actor – who attended the star-studded Mother Of The Bride screening earlier this week – spoke candidly about the ordeal at her Los Angeles home and even revealed how it affects her to this day.
The Netflix series centers on Richard Gadd’s true story about a stalker named Martha, who he met while bartending in 2013 and has become one of the streamer’s biggest hits of the year.
Cosgrove said Rush on Friday: “That’s another reason why I go back and forth to my parents’ house so often.
Miranda Cosgrove has reflected on her own stalking experience following the success of Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, eight years after her stalker set himself on fire and fatally shot himself in her garden
The Netflix series centers on Richard Gadd’s true story about a stalker named Martha, who he met while bartending in 2013 and has become one of the streamer’s biggest hits of the year.
‘I just don’t feel super safe in that house. For the two years after it happened, I wouldn’t really want to stay there.
‘Then I got into a relationship and because that person was with me, I was less afraid. But I don’t really like being there alone.’
Cosgrove became a household name as the titular character on the Nickelodeon series iCarly, which aired for six seasons beginning in 2007.
In December 2016, a man was found dead in the yard of her Hollywood Hills home when police shot and burned him.
Like much of the world, Cosgrove streamed Baby Reindeer and admitted to the publication that it made her reflect on her own situation, while expressing her admiration for Gadd’s ability to recreate his difficult story for the cameras.
Cosgrove explained, “I didn’t think about it much.
‘I feel like I have to live through your worst experiences and then try to recreate them [out]that would be so difficult.’
Last month, Netflix viewers went into meltdown after discovering a new thriller based on a true and terrifying stalking story.
In December 2016, a man was found dead in the yard of her Hollywood Hills home when police shot and burned him; she is pictured in January 2016
Cosgrove (appearing Wednesday) told Bustle, “That’s another reason why I go back and forth to my parents’ house so often. I just don’t feel super safe in that house. For the two years after it happened, I wouldn’t really want to stay there. ‘Then I got into a relationship and because that person was with me, I was less afraid. But I don’t really like being there alone’
Cosgrove became a household name as the titular character on the Nickelodeon series iCarly, which aired for six seasons beginning in 2007; she is pictured with Jennette McCurdy
Scottish comedian Richard Gadd retells the traumatic experience of being stalked for years in the exciting miniseries Baby Reindeer.
After offering a woman a free cup of tea in the pub where he served pints, Gadd was inundated with 40,000 emails, 740 tweets and as many as 350 in voicemails and hundreds of letters, in a harassment case that spanned five years.
Despite informing the police, unfortunately there was not much they could do as the unwanted communication was not ‘obviously’ threatening.
Using his trauma, Gadd created a play called Baby Reindeer – a nickname given to him by his stalker that has now been turned into the terrifying Netflix series.
The chilling show reframes its own terrible experience and revolves around the life of hopeful comedian Donny (Richard Gadd) who is harassed by Martha (Jessica Gunning).
Following Gadd’s story, Martha becomes obsessed with the actor-writer after he gives her a free cup of tea in the drink.
At first, Donny appreciated Martha’s attention – and sometimes even flirted back.
But as the stalker begins to cross boundaries, we see their friendly encounter turn into a terrifying story, revealing Donny’s trauma from past sexual abuse.
Scottish comedian Richard Gadd has turned his own terrifying stalking experience into a new terrifying miniseries on Netflix called Baby Reindeer (Richard Gadd as Donny, pictured)
Based on Gadd’s stalker, Martha falls under the spell of actor-writer Donny after he offers her a free cup of tea at the pub where he works (Jessica Gunning as Martha, pictured)
“Stalking on television is often very sexy,” Gadd told Netflix.
‘There’s something mystical about it. It’s someone in a dark alley. It’s someone who is very sexy, who is very normal, but then little by little it becomes strange.
‘But stalking is a mental illness. I really wanted to show the layers of stalking with a human quality that I hadn’t seen on television before.’
Although their meeting initially begins as a friendly conversation, Martha crosses several boundaries and discovers Donny’s past trauma
The title of the terrifying miniseries, based on Gadd’s true story, comes from the nickname given to the actor by his own stalker
The real Martha is now legally required not to approach Gadd or his friends or family.
Netflix fans have been blown away by how the Scottish comedian has managed to retell his trauma in the harrowing story, with some calling it a ‘masterpiece’.
Baby Reindeer has been a huge success for the streaming giant, as it has been at the top of Netflix’s most-watched charts for about a month.