Neil Gaiman responds to sexual misconduct allegations: NPR

Neil Gaiman, one of today’s most influential and commercially successful novelists, has been accused by several women of sexual misconduct. The author denied these allegations. This is what you need to know.

• Gaiman’s books include the graphic novel The Sandmanchildren’s novel Coraline and a novel he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett, Good omens. The British author has won prestigious literary awards, including several Hugo, Locus and Nebula Awards, as well as the John Newbery Medal. His works have inspired film and television adaptations. Time the magazine included him in its list of the 100 most influential people of 2023.

• The sexual misconduct accusations, which date back decades, were first made public in the summer of 2024 in a six-episode Tortoise Media series titled The Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman. In the podcast, five women accused the writer of unwanted sexual behavior, some of which was allegedly violent in nature. Gaiman has denied the accusations. No charges have been filed. The podcast included interviews with the women, as well as what it said were WhatsApp messages and recordings of phone calls between Gaiman and two of his accusers. During one conversation, Gaiman allegedly said he “obviously screwed up” and offered to pay an accuser, who goes by the name “Claire,” $60,000 to cover the cost of his therapy. NPR was unable to independently verify the recordings because the identity of “Claire” is not public.
• More women are now accusing Gaiman of sexual misconduct in a New York Magazine cover story published Monday. Some of the alleged behavior includes violent sexual assault and sexual misconduct that occurred while her young son was in the room. Gaiman denied this. Gaiman’s accusers are adults, but much younger than the 64-year-old author, including one who is nearly 40 years his junior.

• Gaiman responded to the allegations Tuesday in a lengthy post on his website. Gaiman wrote that he watched the news of the allegations “with horror and dismay”: “As I read this latest collection of stories, there are moments I half recognize and moments I do not recognize, descriptions of things that happened sitting next to things. this absolutely did not happen. I’m far from a perfect person, but I’ve never had non-consensual sex with anyone. He also denied “that there was any abuse.”
• Recent fallout includes the suspension of film adaptations of Gaiman’s works. Deadline reported that Amazon would end production of Good omens with a 90-minute finale episode to be produced this year, instead of a full third season. “Gaiman helped write the series finale but will not work on the production and his production company, Blank Corporation, is no longer involved,” Deadline said. Disney has suspended an adaptation of The cemetery book.

• Professional magazine The bookseller reported that Gaiman hired crisis management firm Edendale Strategies and attorney Andrew Brettler, who represented Danny Masterson and Prince Andrew. Neither party responded to NPR’s request for comment.

Jennifer Vanasco edited this story. Beth Novey produced the web version.