‘Sandman’ Writer Neil Gaiman Allegedly Assaulted 9 Women
Neil Gaiman, the author of the novel Good Omens and the comic book series The Sandman, from which the Amazon Prime and Netflix TV series were based, respectively — has been accused of assualting multiple women, sparking widespread media attention.
The Allegations
Over the summer, Tortoise Media published ‘Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman’, a four-part podcast that examines the accounts of two women, who detail rough and degrading sex with the author, which they say was not always consensual. Tortoise followed that with a report of their investigations into the award-winning author. Gaiman claimed that he was in a consensual relationship with both of them.
Scarlett Pavlovich: Scarlett Pavlovich, his son’s nanny, alleged the Coraline author abused her, and discussed her story in the podcast. She detailed how he came into her face, forced her to perform oral sex while his penis still had urine in it, and even had sex with her while his son was in the same room as them, per Rolling Stone.
Kendra Stout: Stout, who also spoke to the podcast, alleged Gaiman subjected her to rough sex that “she neither wanted nor enjoyed.” She also recounted an incident where she didn’t want to have any sex because she was suffering from a urinary tract infection. But Gaiman still forced himself on her.
Kendall: In 2012, a woman named Kendall alleged Gaiman forced himself on top of her and kissed her on a tour bus.
Caroline: Caroline lived with Gaiman in 2018 after her husband left her. She recalled that, while dealing with depression, Gaiman reached down her pants. Similar to what happened with Pavlovich, Gaiman also forced Caroline to touch his penis while Caroline’s son was lying down between them.
Aside from them, there were other women who stepped forward and accused the author of similar assaults. Some were fans, while others were women who worked with Gaiman at different points.
Status of Projects
Given the severity of the allegations made against him, it’s hard to believe that Gaiman’s numerous ongoing projects won’t be affected.
Good Omens
Instead of a final season, Good Omens will end with a 90-minute episode. Neil Gaiman who also served as writer, showrunner and executive producer with his production company The Black Corporation, also exited after the allegations against him. Deadline also reported a new writer was hired.
The Sandman
The Sandman is still scheduled for a 2025 release. It’s clear, though, that every announcement about the show from Netflix has steered clear of mentioning Gaiman’s name, even in this post about the behind-the-scenes video.
The Graveyard Book
IndieWire reported Disney paused its adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. An insider told the outlet that the movie “has not been scrapped but multiple factors, including the allegations, contributed to putting it on hold.” Understandably so, since Disney is a known stickler for upholding its image as a family-friendly brand. Working with Gaiman after the sexual assault allegations would be damaging to the company.
Dead Boy Detectives
The cancellation of the Netflix show, Dead Boy Detectives might not be due to Gaiman’s sexual assault allegations, but rather because of the show’s weak streaming numbers, according to Variety. However, since it was canceled at the end of August 2024 and Tortoise Media first reported the allegations in July 2024, it’s safe to say the streaming giant might have also taken them into consideration.
Neil Gaiman’s Response to the Allegations
Gaiman responded to the allegations by posting a statement on his website. He wrote, “I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” Gaiman reiterated this point towards the end of his lengthy post, “As I re-review everything that actually happened as opposed to what is being alleged – I don’t accept there was any abuse. To repeat, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone.”
Gaiman’s ex-wife, Amanda Palmer, was also dragged into the issue, with some asking how innocent she was regarding her ex-husband’s wrongdoings. According to the Daily Mail, there were allegations about Palmer too, with one victim, Rachel, saying she was Palmer’s lover before she was “passed like a toy” to the author. Pavlovich also mentioned it was Palmer who recruited her to be their son’s babysitter.
Palmer’s representative issued a statement, “While Ms. Palmer is profoundly disturbed by the allegations that Mr. Gaiman has abused several women, at this time her primary concern is, and must remain, the wellbeing of her son and therefore, to guard his privacy, she has no comment on these allegations.”
