‘Baby Reindeer’ Star Richard Gadd Questioned Over Dating Actress Who Auditioned For Hit Netflix Series

EXCLUSIVE: Richard Gadd, the creator and star of hit Netflix series Baby Reindeerhas faced questions about his professional conduct after dating a transgender actress who intended to audition for his show.

The actor was investigated and ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing by Baby Reindeer producer Clerkenwell Films after a romantic liaison in 2021 with Reece Lyons, who was interested in playing the role of Gadd’s ex-girlfriend Teri in the stalker drama.

Lyons went public with her experience on Twitter (now X) soon after Baby Reindeer premiered. She did not name Gadd or directly reference Baby Reindeerbut Deadline has verified his identity. Gadd declined to comment, while Lyons did not wish to comment beyond her X thread.

Lyons made clear that she does not believe she was a victim of abuse, but said she was “hurt” by Gadd “conflating a work opportunity with a dating dynamic.” Clerkenwell Films concluded that Gadd had acted appropriately, though the company came to this view without interviewing Lyons.

Lyons’ experience comes as Baby Reindeer has exploded on Netflix, with the series amassing 22M views, comfortably making it the streamer’s most-watched English-language TV show. It depicts Gadd’s raw “true story” of his encounter with a stalker and also deals with themes of abuse of power in the TV industry.

Gadd and Lyons met in October 2021 in the bar of London’s Bush Theatre after she had performed the one-woman show Overflow. By Lyons’ telling on X, Gadd and his friend approached her after the show and he offered to buy her a drink. She alleged that the potential for a Baby Reindeer audition was discussed when they “split off” from Gadd’s friend.

“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,” she wrote on X. “I told him I was interested in auditioning and asked him to get in touch with my agent.”

In an interview with Deadline, Gadd’s friend, who we are not identifying, denied that Gadd offered to buy Lyons a drink and did not recall a conversation about the Netflix series or an audition. The friend acknowledged that he stepped away from Gadd and Lyons to get a glass of water, but does not think he was gone long enough for them to discuss Baby Reindeer casting.

What is not disputed is that in the days after their initial encounter, Gadd and Lyons continued talking and he asked her out on a date. The pair went on four dates between October and November 2021, before Gadd ended the relationship in December. Sources close to Gadd did not deny that conversations about a Baby Reindeer audition took place during the period in which they dated.

Lyons alleged on X that Gadd pursued her during their courtship, despite her texting him to “end things prematurely” amid concerns about conflating dates with the audition process. Lyons said Gadd “understood” her wishes, but she claimed that two weeks later, he called her to say “he wanted to try dating again.” In her X thread, she admitted feeling “conflicted” about the relationship and was concerned that breaking it off could damage her chances of auditioning.

Lyons submitted her self-tape audition for Teri to Nina Gold Casting in March 2022, six months after first meeting Gadd and three months after he ended the relationship. Deadline understands that Gadd did not have final approval on Baby Reindeer casting, but did give feedback to Clerkenwell Films on audition tapes.

In June 2022, Baby Reindeer producer Matthew Mulot asked Nina Gold Casting to inform Lyons that she had not been successful with her audition. Nava Mau, who starred in Max series Generationeventually landed the role.

On the day of her rejection, sources close to Gadd said Lyons asked him for feedback on her self-tape. Gadd told her it was “exceptional” but Netflix wanted a more established actress, according to Lyons’ posts on X. Lyons said she asked about their relationship and Gadd responded: “It’s not going to work. You’re too confrontational for me.”

Deadline understands that Clerkenwell Films investigated Lyons’ comments after she made the company aware of her April 16 posts on X. Gadd had not previously disclosed the romantic liaison to Clerkenwell.

Lyons was not interviewed on the phone or in person as part of the investigation, with correspondence done in writing. A Clerkenwell source said her account and other evidence was enough to conclude that Gadd behaved professionally and casting decisions were not compromised. The company remains in contact with Lyons’ agent.

Clerkenwell, which also made The End of the F***ing World for Netflix, declined to comment. Deadline asked Netflix if Gadd had overstepped any conflict of interest clause in his Baby Reindeer contract, but the streamer declined to comment.

Baby Reindeer launched with little fanfare on Netflix on April 11 and has become a phenomenon for the streamer, sparking wild internet speculation about the real identities of the characters. Gadd — who also serves as an executive producer on Baby Reindeer — has pleaded with fans not to play the guessing game.