Sandman author Neil Gaiman accused of sexual assault by 8 women: Report

However, Neil Gaiman has denied all allegations noting that all his relationships were consensual.

British author Neil Gaiman faces allegations of sexual assault months after similar accusations emerged against him, according to a cover story in New York Magazine’s entertainment website Vulture.

Eight women have accused Gaiman of assault, coercion or abuse in an article titled “There Is No Safe Word”. Among the accusers is Scarlett Pavlovich, who used to babysit Neil Gaiman’s child.

Among the accusers is Scarlett Pavlovich, who used to babysit Neil Gaiman’s child. She alleged that Neil Gaiman assaulted her in February 2022 in a backyard bathtub in New Zealand and later under hotel bed covers while his son was present in the room. She recalled him saying, “Call me ‘master,’ and I’ll come. Be a good girl. You’re a good little girl.”

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In one such scenario, Gaiman asked Pavlovich to eat her vomit after an alleged sexual assault attempt.

Pavlovich then contacted Amanda Palmer and filed a police report but the case did not proceed. Subsequently, she signed a non-disclosure agreement regarding the alleged sexual assault. Neil Gaiman paid her $9,200 over nine months concerning the matter.

Similar allegations resurfaced in July 2024, when five women accused Neil Gaiman in the podcast series Master by Tortoise Media. Among them was a fan, identified as ‘K,’ who claimed non-consensual encounters during a relationship in her early 20s.

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Caroline Wallner, a tenant, accused Gaiman of financial exploitation and coercion while writer Julia Hobsbawm shared an account of an unwanted advance at a literary event. The report states that most of the women were in their 20s at the time, with the youngest being 18, while Gaiman was in his 40s or older.

However, Neil Gaiman has denied all allegations noting that all his relationships were consensual. He stated his willingness to cooperate with investigations, though no charges have been filed.

JK Rowling slams ‘literary community’s silence’ on the issue

On Monday, Harry Potter author JK Rowling addressed the allegations against Neil Gaiman, drawing comparisons to the sexual assault cases involving Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Rowling also criticized the “literary community’s silence” on the matter.

“The literary crowd, which had plenty to say about Harvey Weinstein before his conviction, has been oddly quiet in response to multiple accusations against Neil Gaiman from young women who had never met but – as with Weinstein – share strikingly similar stories,” she wrote on X.

Who is Neil Gaiman?

Neil Gaiman was born in Portchester, Hampshire, England on November 10, 1960. He grew up steeped in his Polish-Jewish and Ashkenazi heritage. He attended Fonthill School, Ardingly College, and Whitgift School before embarking on a journalism career in the 1980s. Literary greats such as Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and Roger Zelazny inspired in him a passion for storytelling he never really lost.

Gaiman’s journey in writing started in 1984 when he penned a short story, from which he launched himself to fame with Good Omens, a work originally done in collaboration with author Terry Pratchett, and The Sandman. From novels to comics and screenplays, the author’s works have bagged him several Hugo, Nebula, and Newbery medals. His books Stardust and Coraline were placed on the silver screen, empowering his impact on modern popular culture.

Sandman author projected a feminist image online

The contrast between Neil Gaiman’s public feminist stance expressed through his social media posts and writings and the allegations against him, which involve coercion and lack of consent is being criticized.

In a 2014 post on X, he expressed support for Emma Watson’s UN #HeForShe campaign, writing, “As a feminist and a human being, I agree with @emwatson (read her speech) @UN_women #heforshe.”

In another post, he stated, “Men must not close our eyes and minds to what happens to women in this world. We must fight, alongside them, for them to be believed.” His wife responded, “Thank you for this amazing, af husband.”

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