Neil Gaiman’s ex-partner Amanda Palmer has publicly acknowledged allegations of sexual misconduct against the author for the first time.
On her Instagram account, the American singer wrote: “As custody and divorce proceedings are ongoing, I am unable to make any public comments. Understand that I am first and foremost a parent. I ask for privacy at this time. Palmer and Gaiman, who married in 2011 and have a child together, are currently divorcing.
NME also reported that in response to its request for comment following the most recent allegations against The Sandman author in New York Magazine, a representative for Palmer said she was “deeply disturbed” by the allegations, but that “at this time her primary concern is and must remain the well-being of her son and, therefore, to protect her privacy, she makes no comment on these allegations.
In July, an investigative podcast conducted by Tortoise media reported sexual assault allegations made against Gaiman by two women. Gaiman denied them at the time, saying all of his sexual relationships were consensual.
Other allegations were made after the podcast aired, including by a woman who had worked as Gaiman’s caretaker in upstate New York, who said the author pressured her to she had sex with him in exchange for letting her live on his property, then made him sign a nondisclosure agreement in exchange for a payment of $275,000. Again, Gaiman’s position was that his relationship with her was consensual.
For Monday’s New York Magazine report, journalist Lila Shapiro interviewed eight women, six officially, including the four women who participated in the Tortoise podcast series. The women’s accusations included allegations of sexual assault, sexual misconduct and coercion.
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On Tuesday, Gaiman released a statement on his website, denying all allegations against him, writing: “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Never.”
Since the allegations were first reported by Tortoise, two film adaptations of Gaiman’s works have been canceled or suspended in production, including Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives and a Disney adaptation of The Graveyard Book, currently in development. . Meanwhile, the third and final season of Amazon drama Good Omens will now be one long episode rather than a full season. None of the streaming services have confirmed that these decisions were made due to the allegations, but Deadline reported that Gaiman withdrew from his involvement in Good Omens due to the allegations. None of the British publishers of Gaiman’s books have yet made a statement or responded to the Guardian’s requests for comment.
