Why Baby Reindeer’s Martha Writes ‘Sent From My iPhone’

Netflix’s Baby Reindeer has taken the world by storm. Its viral nature has got to a point where folks who’ve watched it are seeking and (allegedly) finding the answers to their endless questions regarding the chilling storyline. One of the bigger things that’s on people’s minds is Martha Scott‘s signature sign-off to Donny Dunn: Sent from my iPhone.

Heads up, this article features minor spoilers for Baby Reindeer.

For folks who’ve yet to subject themselves to what is — in my opinion — an emotional and mentally taxing story, Baby Reindeer follows comedian Donny Dunn (portrayed by Richard Gadd) as he falls victim to convicted stalker Martha Scott (played by Jessica Gunning).

The story is inspired by the real-life experiences of Gadd, who portrays Dunn in the series. But of course, some details have been changed for “legal and artistic reasons”.

Baby Reindeer has been on the tip of people’s tongues ever since it dropped on the streaming service, with many people determined to find out the real story behind Gadd and his stalker.

It’s even got to a point where Gadd — the real-life bloke who also starred in the movie — pleaded for fans to stop speculating on who the real characters are in real life.

A recurring theme in the series is Martha’s use of “Sent from my iPhone” when she sends her unhinged messages to Dunn.

Yes. When you do send emails from iPhone, the cheeky Apple device does a cheeky little plug at the end of your messages.

However, eagled-eyed punters have noticed that in the show Martha does not have an iPhone. Literally minutes into the first time she and Dunn, we catch a glimpse of her phone. A Nokia before Instagram and Snapchat was a thing.

There are even moments where her signature ending message is misspelled to just “iphon”.

What a wild little detail, right?

According to psychologist Danielle Haig, this might not be an editing error, but an indication to the character’s mental health and inability to accept her “new reality”

“Her 40,000 emails, marked by this false signature, are a testament not only to her obsession with Donny, but possibly to her inability to reconcile with her new reality,” Haig told LADbible.

“The sign-off is less about the actual device and more about what it represents: a sense of belonging to a professional class and a world where she was respected and successful. It is an attempt to project an image of stability and normalcy in contrast to her current life.

“Signing off her emails with ‘Sent from my iPhone’ despite not owning one may serve as a symbolic link to her former status.”

Haig also added that this could be a symbol of Martha coping with the loss of her “previous identity” and that the character is a “raw illustration of the human desire for esteem”.

“This small but deliberate act of deception may reflect her deep-seated need to preserve her previous identity, which has been shattered by her imprisonment,” she adds, per the publication.

“This insistence on a fictional narrative showcases the psychological complexities of coping with downfall. It also demonstrates how individuals might go to great lengths to retain some semblance of their former selves in the face of drastic life changes.”

In an interview with The Independent, Gadd opened up about the character of Martha and highlighted that she is a “victim”.

“Stalking and harassment is a form of mental illness. It would have been wrong to paint her as a monster, because she’s unwell, and the system’s failed her,” Gadd said.

Following the show’s success, the woman who fans allege inspired the character of Martha has spoken out — claiming she’d received death threats following its surge in popularity.

“I’m the victim here, not Richard Gadd. I’ve had death threats as a result of his show despite the fact that a lot of the things he claimed are just not true,” the unnamed woman told the Daily Record.

“Someone online said, ‘If I find you I will kill you’. A guy in North Carolina said that he and other people were going to stalk me, like I am supposed to have stalked Gadd.”

Gadd nor Netflix have responded to the woman’s comments.

Image source: Netflix / Baby Reindeer