Author Neil Gaiman denies sexual assault allegations

Neil Gaiman, a well-known author famous for his works such as The Sandman and American Gods, has publicly denied allegations of sexual misconduct that have recently surfaced. The 64-year-old writer stated that he has 'never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever. ' The allegations were made by eight women, four of whom had previously accused him of similar misconduct in July 2024. In a blog post titled Breaking The Silence, Gaiman expressed his horror and dismay upon reading the accusations. He explained that he had chosen to remain silent until now out of respect for those sharing their stories and to avoid drawing attention to what he described as misinformation. Gaiman mentioned that he has always preferred to keep his personal life private and felt that social media was not the right platform for discussing serious matters. However, he felt compelled to speak out after reading the latest allegations. He noted, 'As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don't, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen. ' Gaiman acknowledged that he is not a perfect person but reiterated that he has never engaged in any non-consensual sexual activity. The author, whose works have been adapted into television series, was the subject of a cover story in New York Magazine, which reported the allegations from the eight women. One of the women claimed that while babysitting Gaiman's five-year-old child, he invited her to take a bath in his garden and then joined her in the tub naked, allegedly asking her to sit on his lap and sexually assaulting her. In response to these claims, Gaiman stated that he reviewed text messages from the time of the alleged incidents and felt they reflected two people enjoying consensual relationships. He admitted that he was 'careless with people's hearts and feelings' and could have handled things better, but he does not accept that there was any abuse. Gaiman expressed his understanding that not everyone would believe him and stated that he would do his best to earn their trust, as well as the trust of his readers. He claimed that some of the allegations 'simply never happened' while others had been 'distorted' to bear no relationship to reality. He also mentioned that he would take responsibility for any missteps he made. A police report accusing Gaiman of sexual assault was filed in January 2023, but the investigation was eventually dropped. Since the allegations became public, several of Gaiman's film and television projects have been impacted. The third season of Prime Video's Good Omens will now consist of just one 90-minute episode, with Gaiman no longer involved in the project. Disney has paused production on its adaptation of Gaiman's book The Graveyard Book, and Netflix has canceled the series Dead Boy Detectives, although it is unclear if this decision was related to the allegations. However, the second season of The Sandman is still expected to be released this year, along with Prime Video's adaptation of Anansi Boys.