Accused of harassment again: Who is British author Neil Gaiman, accused of sexual assault by 8 women?

In July 2024, a relatively new media outlet called Tortoise Media prepared a report stating that Gaiman had been accused of sexual assault by two women. They subsequently released a 6-part podcast series titled "Master," which covered the allegations of five women. In these programs, most of the women protected their identities and were forced to withhold certain details due to various non-disclosure agreements.

ACCUSATIONS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT

In an article titled "No Safe Word" in New York Magazine, reporter Lila Shapiro spoke with eight women who had similar experiences with Gaiman; four of them had also participated in the Tortoise podcast. One of these women, Scarlett Pavlovich, was 22 when she first met Gaiman's ex-wife, Amanda Palmer, in New Zealand. Palmer and Pavlovich became friends before Palmer asked her to babysit for her and Gaiman's 5-year-old child. Pavlovich alleges that Gaiman sexually assaulted her when they first met. Pavlovich stated that this continued throughout the time she worked as a nanny for the family.

'THE PARTIES CONSENTED'

Gaiman's representatives told the Tortoise podcast, "what happened may not be to everyone's taste, but both parties consented." Although the New York Magazine article notes that all the women continued to communicate with Gaiman and maintain sexual relations at some point, the women claim that consent and specific sexual acts were not discussed or agreed upon before they took place.

MANY PROJECTS AFFECTED

Since the allegations shared by Tortoise in July, many of Gaiman's film and TV projects have been affected. The third season of Prime Video's "Good Omens" series will now conclude with a single 90-minute episode in which Gaiman is no longer involved in production. Disney has halted production on the film adaptation of "The Graveyard Book," and Netflix has canceled the "Dead Boy Detectives" series, though it is unclear if this is related to the allegations. Nevertheless, the second season of "The Sandman" and the Prime Video series adaptation of "Anansi Boys" are expected to be released this year. Netflix and Prime Video did not respond to requests for comment regarding the status of these series.

WHO IS NEIL GAIMAN?

Neil Gaiman was born on November 10, 1960, in Portchester, Hampshire, England. His family is of Polish-Jewish and Ashkenazi descent. He has two younger sisters, one of whom works at the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles.

Gaiman attended Fonthill School, Ardingly College, and Whitgift School. In the 1980s, he worked in journalism, conducted interviews, and wrote book reviews for the British Fantasy Society. He was influenced by the writings of Mary Shelley, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Alan Moore, and Gene Wolfe. He was also a fan of Monty Python and became enamored with the comic book Metal Hurlant during a trip to France at the age of 13. Gaiman cites Roger Zelazny as his greatest literary influence.

Neil Gaiman began his writing career in 1984 with a short story. In 1987, he collaborated with Terry Pratchett on Good Omens. Gaiman learned to write comic book scripts and worked on Miracleman and Watchmen. He co-created The Sandman, which introduced the character Death, and wrote The Books of Magic and Marvel 1602. He adapted Princess Mononoke and Beowulf for film and wrote the script for Neverwhere for the BBC. Gaiman's works, including Stardust and Coraline, have been adapted into films, and he has won Hugo Awards for the Doctor Who episode "The Doctor's Wife" and the Good Omens miniseries. In 2023, he voiced a character in Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose.

In 2024, five women accused Neil Gaiman of sexual assault and harassment, and their interviews appeared in Tortoise Media and The New York Times. The allegations included groping at a book event, painful, unwanted sex, and demands for sexual favors. Gaiman has denied the allegations, including those made by author Julia Hobsbawm. In response to these allegations, Disney halted the The Graveyard Book film, and production of Good Omens season 3 was delayed. Gaiman stepped away from the project in October.