Baby Reindeer‘s Richard Gadd was allegedly investigated by the show’s producer Clerkenwell Films after dating an actress who went on to audition for the role of Teri.
Deadline reports that following the investigation, he was cleared of any wrongdoing after briefly dating the actress Reece Lyons in 2021, who he had asked to audition for the show. The audition itself took place after the conclusion of their brief relationship. However, Lyons was not interviewed as part of the investigation over phone or in person, but did correspond in writnig.
Lyons spoke about her experience in a thread on X/Twitter and although she did not name Gadd or explicitly reference Baby Reindeer but Deadline confirmed that Gadd was the person concerned. Gadd declined to comment, while Lyons did not add any further details.
Lyons described meeting the writer in October 2021 in the bar of London’s Bush Theatre after she had performed the one-woman show Overflow. “He was with a friend; they both approached me after my performance to congratulate me, and that’s when he offered to buy me a drink,” she wrote. She also mentioned that he followed her on Instagram a month prior.
“We split off from his friend, and he began to tell me about his upcoming Netflix show that he had written,” she continued. “The role in question was that of his ex-girlfriend, a trans woman. ‘I didn’t treat her the best,’ he said. I wondered what that meant.”
Lyons told him she was interested in the role and to get in touch with her agent. “‘But there is one other thing,’ he said. ‘What?’ I replied. ‘I find you really attractive.’,” Lyons recalled.
Sources close to Gadd reportedly did not deny that he discussed an audition with Lyons that night, but his friend said that he didn’t hear their conversation as he had gone to the bar.
We split off from his friend, and he began to tell me about his upcoming Netflix show that he had written. The role in question was that of his ex-girlfriend, a trans woman. “I didn’t treat her the best,” he said. I wondered what that meant.
— Reece Lyons (@reecelyons_) April 16, 2024
The writer and Lyons continued talking and went on four dates between October and December 2021 but he called things off. Despite that, Lyons allege that she tried to break things off herself more than once over concerns about conflating dates with the audition process.
“I was mindful of the overlap between the upcoming audition and the romantic invitation, but I knew I needed to ask him more questions,” she said.
Although Lyons said he “understood” her concerns, she recalls that “two weeks later, he spontaneously called me and said that he wanted to try dating again.” Lyons questioned whether saying no to another date “would mean he would feel slighted, and I wouldn’t get the chance to audition”.
Lyons submitted her self-taped audition in March 2022. The writer did not have final approval on Baby Reindeer casting, but did give feedback to Clerkenwell Films on audition tapes. The role of Teri eventually went to Nava Mau.
‘Baby Reindeer’ starring Richard Gadd. CREDIT: Netflix/Ed Miller
“‘Your audition was exceptional,’ he said as he consoled me over the phone,” Lyons recalled. “But it’s out of my hands. Netflix is looking for somebody who’s already a star.”
Lyons said she asked about their relationship and claimed that he responded: “It’s not going to work. You’re too confrontational for me.”
Lyons emphasised that she didn’t feel like she had been the victim of abuse.
Deadline reports that Netflix and Clerkenwell Films both declined to comment.
Meanwhile, Mau recently spoke about a deleted scene from the show that gave her “closure” about the fate of her character.
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