- Neil Gaiman is a writer and an author
- His novels include Coraline and Good Omens
- He has been hit with sexual assault allegations, which he denies
Neil Gaiman is at the centre of a string of a fresh batch of sexual allegations.
They spring from an investigation by New York Magazine, which published the testimony of eight women. The piece, titled There Is No Safe Word, was published on 14 January 2025.
One of the women, Scarlett Pavlovich, was hired to babysit his then five-year-old son when she was 22. This was after she had made friends with his wife, singer Amanda Palmer.
Pavlovich alleges that she was bathing in their outdoor tub when Gaiman got in while completely nude and sexually assaulted her.
She also claimed that Gaiman assaulted her while she was in a hotel room while working for him as a nanny. During the incident, Gaiman ordered her to call him “master” and labelled her a “good little girl”.
The array of allegations from the group ranges from coercion, degrading treatment and unwanted sexual advancements. The women all report being in their 20s during the alleged assaults while he was in his 40s or older. One claimed to be as young as 18.
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Who is Neil Gaiman?
Gaiman is an author. His notable work includes the comic book series The Sandman and the novels Coraline and American Gods.
He published his first short story in 1984 and came to wider acclaim via his collab Good Omens with Terry Pratchett.
His body of work has secured him a whole host of prestigious awards. These include the Hugo Award, The Newberry Medal and the Nebula.
The film versions of Stardust and Coraline have also helped propel him to prominence.
On the personal front, he was married singer Amanda Palmer, who is heavily implicated in the magazine story. They got hitched in 2011 and split in 2022 after welcoming their son Ash in 2015.
Gaiman also has two grown-up daughters, Holly and Maddy. They were products of his marriage to Mary McGrath, who he wed in 1985. They divorced in 2007.
Has he been accused of sexual assault before?
Four of the women quoted in There Is No Safe Word already went on record to Tortoise Media. The outlet, in collaboration with the New York Times, published a six-part podcast centred on Gaiman back in July, titled Master.
In response, a number of his projects were halted. Disney paused production on The Graveyard Boo. The third season of Good Omens is also in doubt.
The New York Magazine article is the first time they have gone on record. All the accusers used fake names in the previous reporting.
Additionally, the writer Julia Hobsbawm accused Gaiman of abusive behaviour.
What has Neil Gaiman said about the allegations?
Gaiman denies any and all wrongdoing and asserts that sexual contact was consensual.
In response to the Tortoise podcast, he said that “sexual degradation, bondage, domination, sadism and masochism may not be to everyone’s taste, but between consenting adults, BDSM is lawful.”
A rep described the allegations as “false, not to mention deplorable” to New York Magazine.
