It’s safe to say Richard Gadd has had an eventful life. His experiences have been catapulted into the public sphere of late with the release of Baby Reindeer, and his romantic life in particular has been a hot topic since the show aired. But, is he in a relationship now?
The focus of the series is the uncomfortable relationship between Donny Dunn and his stalker, Martha Scott. Uncovering the real-life drama behind this fictional retelling has had fans hooked, and is one of the key reasons Baby Reindeer has become the most talked about, and arguably the best TV show of 2024.
While Martha hounded Donny with emails in the show, Fiona Harvey has emerged as the woman at the heart of it all, and her tweets to Richard Gadd have been chaotic, to say the least.
So, how has this all affected the man himself? Is Richard Gadd in a relationship now? And what was his romantic life like during the time of the events depicted in the Netflix drama?
Is Richard Gadd in a relationship now?
While knowing for certain what’s going on in someone’s personal romantic life is difficult, there is no evidence to suggest Richard Gadd is in a relationship right now.
Naturally, after everything he’s been through, Gadd is pretty private these days. So, even if he was in a romantic relationship, it’s unlikely he would broadcast that to the world. He’s even said he will never comment on the real people from Baby Reindeer again.
The viral breakdown video seen in Baby Reindeer shows just how emotionally fragile Gadd has been in the past. So, opening himself up to more scrutiny in the media by announcing he is dating someone now would probably not be wise.
Given the sensitive nature of the events we see in Baby Reindeer and the way the situation has exploded since, it’s no surprise that safeguarding concerns have been raised by the UK government.
Richard Gadd sexuality explained
Gadd has publicly revealed he identifies as bisexual.
During the course of the series, Donny tussles with his sexual orientation. After suffering abuse and rape from a man (Gadd’s real-life abuser has not been named yet), Donny begins to have sex with both women and men to figure out his sexual preferences.
This leads him to engage in relations with transgender women, which brings more confusion for Donny. However, in an interview with Vanity Fair, Gadd is said to identify as bisexual. Still, he does explain that “none of the labels sat right with [him]” and that there is no “clear answer.”
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Who is Teri and what happened to her?
In the show, Donny dates a trans woman called Teri but they eventually break up. This mirrors the real-world events of Richard Gadd’s romantic life.
The identity of Teri in real life is unknown, and it is very likely that information will never be revealed. All we know is, trans actress Nava Mau plays Teri in the show. Their relationship breaks down after Martha violently clashes with Teri and Donny lets Martha’s limerence come between them.
We also know the real Teri and Gadd eventually “found peace” despite their tumultuous breakup. Mau told StyleCaster that something we don’t see in Baby Reindeer is that Teri and Richard got “closure” on their situation and that she has listened to a voicemail from Teri confirming as much. Ultimately, Teri came away from the situation with a smile on her face and a “new man” in her life.
Reece Lyons controversy explained
Gadd was reportedly romantically involved with a trans actress called Reece Lyons during the audition process for Baby Reindeer. Lyons claimed Gadd let the relationship interfere with their careers, but this proved to be unfounded.
Allegations of misconduct were raised against Gadd but were cleared by Clerkenwell Films, the studio behind Baby Reindeer, in May 2024 (as per Deadline).
Lyons and Gadd are said to have met in 2021, and he told her about the upcoming Netflix series he was working on. With a trans character being a part of the show, Lyons was keen to audition for the role of Teri. Lyons even suggested they end the relationship to avoid any conflicts of interest, but Gadd allegedly wanted to keep seeing her.
According to Lyons, Gadd said her audition was “exceptional” but that Netflix had insisted they go for a bigger name. They broke up shortly after, with Gadd claiming Lyons was “too confrontational.”
While Lyons stated she did not suffer any “abuse,” she warned other actors to be wary of such situations and the “boundaries” that need to be in place. Gadd was not found to have let the relationship influence the casting process.
For more, check out all the articles about Fiona Muir, the most shocking moments from Fiona Harvey’s interview with Piers Morgan, and these 10 shows to watch if you like Baby Reindeer. You can also find all the best new true crime and documentaries heading your way this month, too.
