New testimonies aggravate the position of the famous author of ‘American Gods’ and ‘Stardust’. The defence denies it, but television and film projects are suspended
British author Neil Gaiman, famous for his successful novels such as ‘Happy Apocalypse to All!’, ‘American Gods’ and ‘Stardust’, is at the centre of very serious allegations made by eight women, who accuse him of sexual assault and violence. These new revelations have emerged from an investigation published by New York Magazine and the website Vulture, which follows the initial allegations made last year in a Tortoise Media podcast.
Prominent among the allegations is that of a woman who babysat Gaiman’s son, describing a disturbing episode in which the writer allegedly joined her naked in a bathtub and sexually assaulted her. Gaiman, according to the testimony, allegedly asked her to sit on his lap, in a context that the woman had neither anticipated nor agreed to.
Although all of the women involved went along with Gaiman’s desires to some extent, referring to him as ‘master’ and maintaining some contact with him, they claim that the erotic practices described had not been clearly discussed beforehand and that consent in such circumstances was therefore compromised.
Gaiman’s spokesman stated that the encounters with the accusers were consensual, adding that ‘Bdsm is legitimate between consenting adults’. However, this statement did not stop the repercussions on productions in which the writer was involved. Several projects, including the third season of Good Omens and the Disney adaptation of The Graveyard Book, were suspended. Netflix also cancelled the Dead Boy Detectives series, although it is unclear whether the decision is directly related to the allegations against Gaiman.
The allegations are nothing new: back in 2023, a sexual assault complaint against Gaiman was filed. However, the new testimonies bring a disturbing light on the figure of the writer, who will no longer be involved in some of his major productions. Nevertheless, his other projects continue: the second season of The Sandman is scheduled for release this year on Netflix, and Prime Video is working on the adaptation of Anansi Boys.
Gaiman, who until now had retained creative control of many of his adaptations, has seen his presence and influence diminish as a result of the allegations. The Leeds Playhouse has confirmed that it will host the musical adaptation of Coraline, the writer’s children’s horror novel, from April, while publisher Headline, which has published many of his works, declined to comment on the affair.
The investigation and controversy surrounding Neil Gaiman is set to continue, while the publishing and entertainment world awaits clearer answers from its representatives and the platforms involved.
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