Neil Gaiman faces fallout amid multiple sexual misconduct allegations

[KENNEDY FELTON]

HE’S THE MAN BEHIND FANTASY WORLDS LIKE “THE SANDMAN” AND “GOOD OMENS” BUT A NEW REPORT BY “VULTURE” IS SHEDDING LIGHT ON ALLEGATIONS OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AGAINST NEIL GAIMAN – WITH MULTIPLE WOMEN COMING FORWARD.

TOWARD THE END OF LAST SUMMER… TORTOISE MEDIA REPORTED GAIMAN WAS ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT BY TWO WOMEN – BOTH OF WHOM USED pseudonymS OR ONLY THEIR FIRST NAMES. 

THE DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED ASSAULTS WERE THEN DETAILED IN A SIX PART PODCAST FROM TORTOISE.

[SNIPPET FROM “Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman”]

“the email includes allegations of serious sexual assaults carried out by a famous man a man who was 61 when Scarlet was 22 and worked as his child’s nanny”

ONE OF THE WOMEN – SCARLETT Pavlovich – WHOSE STORY WAS ALSO FEATURED IN VULTURE… WORKED AS A BABYSITTER FOR GAIMAN AND HIS EX WIFE – AMANDA PALMER. 

SCARLETT ALLEGES GAIMAN SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER DURING HER EMPLOYMENT… AND DESCRIBES INCIDENTS OF INAPPROPRIATE TOUCHING AND COERCION.

ONE INCIDENT – WHERE GAIMAN ALLEGEDLY JOINED HER IN A BATHTUB WITHOUT HER CONSENT AND ENGAGED IN SEXUAL ACTS DESPITE HER OBJECTIONS.

ANOTHER WOMEN IDENTIFIED – CAROLINE – CLAIMS GAIMAN’S EX WIFE CONFIDED IN HER ABOUT ISSUES IN THEIR MARRIAGE. CAROLINE – WHO LATER WORKED AS A CARETAKER IN GAIMAN’S HOME –  CLAIMS HE ALSO COERCED HER INTO SEXUAL ACTIVITIES – SOMETIMES IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS CHILD.

SHE RECOUNTS ONE INSTANCE WHERE GAIMAN ALLEGEDLY PLACED HER HAND ON HIS GENITALS WHILE HIS SON WAS IN THE SAME BED.

VULTURE SAYS GAIMAN’S REPRESENTATIVES DENY THESE CLAIMS,,, STATING THAT CAROLINE INITIATED THEIR SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS AND THAT HE DID NOT ENGAGE IN ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS SON.

BOTH WOMEN CLAIM GAIMAN OFFERED FINANCIAL PAYOUTS IN EXCHANGE FOR SIGNING N-D-A’S. CAROLINE CLAIMS TO HAVE RECEIVED 300-THOUSAND DOLLARS AFTER NEGOTIATIONS.

SIX other WOMEN HAVE COME FORWARD. 

SINCE THE ALLEGATIONS SURFACED LAST YEAR – SEVERAL OF GAIMAN’S PROJECTS HAVE BEEN AFFECTED.

THE THIRD AND FINAL SEASON OF “GOOD OMENS” WAS PUT ON HOLD. PRIME VIDEO LATER CONFIRMED THE SEASON WOULD BE REDUCED TO A SINGLE EPISODE… WITH GAIMAN NO LONGER INVOLVED.

NETFLIX ALSO CANCELED “DEAD BOY DETECTIVES”… WHILE DISNEY PAUSED PRODUCTION ON “THE GRAVEYARD BOOK.” 

IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER THESE DECISIONS WERE DIRECTLY TIED TO THE ALLEGATIONS.

GAIMAN BROKE HIS SILENCE WITH A STATEMENT ON HIS WEBSITE TUESDAY… SAYING – “Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made.”

HE CLAIMS TO HAVE BEEN RE-READING MESSAGES BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE WOMEN… DESCRIBING THEIR INTERACTIONS AS PART OF A CONSENSUAL RELATIONSHIP.

GAIMAIN SAYS HE’S NOT WILLING TO TURN HIS BACK ON THE TRUTH AND CAN’T ACCEPT BEING PORTRAYED AS SOMEONE HE’S NOT.