Relationship
Richard Gadd’s Controversial Romance with Actress Auditioning for ‘Baby Reindeer’
Baby Reindeer was a great hit for Richard Gadd, the creator and star of the Netflix series.The British black comedy drama-thriller was adapted from…
Baby Reindeer was a great hit for Richard Gadd, the creator and star of the Netflix series.
The British black comedy drama-thriller was adapted from Gadd’s autobiographical one-man show and hit the streaming service on April 11, 2024. The 7-episode drama, produced by Clerkenwell Films, was an instant hit and grabbed the attention of millions worldwide.
As Baby Reindeer was based on Gadd’s real-life events, viewers were instantly accustomed to digging deeper into the happenings of the series, mainly relationships. As if that wasn’t enough, his professional conduct was also questioned.
Days after Baby Reindeer hit Netflix, on April 16, 2024, a transgender actress named Reece Lyons came forward on X, claiming she and Gadd dated for a brief period and that she also auditioned for the role of Gadd’s ex-girlfriend, Teresa “Teri,” in the Netflix series.
Lyons never specifically mentioned Gadd or Baby Reindeer in her X thread but an investigation by Deadline confirmed that she was indeed talking about the Netflix show and its creator.
In her X thread, Lyons mentioned that she didn’t believe she was a victim of abuse but acknowledged that Gadd hurt her even if there was no conscious intent to do so. Additionally, she was hurt by Gadd “conflating a work opportunity with a dating dynamic.”
As per Deadline, Gadd and Lyons first met each other in October 2021. Both of them were in the bar of London’s Bush Theatre after Lyons had performed the one-woman show Overflow.
“I had met him in the bar after one of my shows. 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,” Lyons recalled her first encounter with Gadd on her X thread.
She then stated that she initially thought of declining the offer as she didn’t know Gadd but before she could decline the offer, she recognized him. She claimed that Gadd had followed her on Instagram a month earlier.
It was at that moment she realized that this wasn’t a normal chance encounter. She decided to accept his offer for a drink, after which they began their conversation. “We split off from his friend, and he began to tell me about his upcoming Netflix show that he had written,” she wrote.
Lyons continued her X thread by writing that Gadd had offered her the role of his ex-girlfriend, a trans woman. As per Lyons, Gadd mentioned that he allegedly didn’t treat his now-former girlfriend the best.
When Gadd offered the role, Lyons claimed she was interested in auditioning for the role and told him to contact her agent. Right after that, Gadd allegedly expressed his romantic feelings for Lyons.
Weeks after their first meet, Gadd contacted Lyons and asked her out on a date. She agreed even though she was mindful of the overlap between the romantic invitation and the upcoming audition. During their date, their conversations didn’t turn out well.
Richard Gadd for Netflix’s ‘Baby Reindeer’ (Photo: Instagram)
After a week, Lyons texted him and ended things prematurely. She told him that she didn’t think the conflation of the upcoming audition for Baby Reindeer and dating each other at the same time was very wise, and Gadd replied that he understood what she meant.
However, things didn’t end then and there between the two, as Lyons claimed that Gadd spontaneously called her two weeks later and expressed his desire to try dating again. When he said that, she felt conflicted as she had previously set clear boundaries and he appeared to understand them.
“‘What if I say, no?’ I asked myself. ‘Does that mean he would feel slighted, and I wouldn’t get the chance to audition?’ I decided to say yes and quickly found myself pulled back into his emotional chaos again,” Lyons wrote on her X thread.
As per Deadline, Gadd and Lyons had gone on four dates between October and November 2021, before the former decided to end things permanently in December of the same year. As per sources close to Gadd, some conversations about a Baby Reindeer audition might have taken place while the two were dating.
In March 2022, three months after Gadd and Lyons broke up, the latter auditioned for the role of Teresa “Teri” and submitted her self-tape to Nina Gold Casting. However, she wasn’t offered the role and it ultimately went to Mexican actress Nava Mau.
Deadline reported in May 2024 that Gadd had no control over the casting process on Baby Reindeer but provided some feedback on audition tapes to Clerkenwell Films. Likewise, Gadd and Lyons seemingly had a final conversation after the actress for the role of Teresa “Teri” was finalized.
As per Lyons’ X thread, Gadd reportedly consoled her over the phone and mentioned that her audition was exceptional. “But it’s out of my hands. Netflix is looking for somebody who’s already a star,” Gadd reportedly told Lyons.
Sources close to Gadd stated that Lyons was the one who asked him for feedback on her audition on the day of rejection. She then asked him, “But what about us?” to which he replied, “It’s not going to work. You’re too confrontational for me.” “And that was it,” she concluded.
After Lyons went public with her relationship with Gadd, Baby Reindeer’s producer Clerkenwell Films launched an investigation into Lyons’ comments. This investigation revealed that Gadd had not disclosed his romantic liaison with Lyons to Clerkenwell Films.
During the investigation process, Lyons was neither interviewed on the phone nor in person, as Clerkenwell Films believed that her X thread, along with other evidence, was enough. Clerkenwell Films ultimately concluded that Gadd behaved professionally and casting decisions were not compromised.