Exclusive: Neil Gaiman accused of sexual assault

Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual assault by two ladies with whom he was in consensual relationships and is the topic of a police criticism in New Zealand. 

Gaiman’s place is that he strongly denies any allegations of non-consensual intercourse with the ladies and provides New Zealand police didn’t take up his provide of help over one girl’s criticism in 2022, which, he says, displays its lack of substance.

Nonetheless, New Zealand police stated it made a “variety of makes an attempt to talk to key individuals as a part of this investigation and people efforts stay ongoing”, including that there are “various components to consider with this case, together with location of all events”. 

The allegations span twenty years and concern younger ladies who got here into contact with Gaiman – the 63 year-old bestselling creator of The Sandman, Good Omens, and American Gods – as a nanny to his baby and as a fan of his writing.

hearken to Tortoise’s four-part audio investigation

• Episode one: the bathtub

• Episode two: the WhatsApps

• Episode three: the pond

• Episode 4: the fan

The ladies’s allegations had been first reported in Tortoise’s podcast ‘Grasp: the allegations towards Neil Gaiman’, launched on Wednesday. The four-part collection examines the ladies’s accounts of tough and degrading intercourse with the creator, which they are saying was not at all times consensual. 

Though the overwhelming majority of circumstances of sexual assault occur inside relationships, most allegations go unreported, and due to this fact unprosecuted, due to the expectation that alleged victims wouldn’t be in a relationship with their alleged assailant. Whereas the legislation says that consent is for each sexual act, many individuals assume {that a} relationship gives ongoing consent. 

Scarlett, 23, alleges that Gaiman sexually assaulted her inside hours of their first assembly in February 2022 in a shower at his New Zealand residence, the place she labored as a nanny to his baby. Tortoise understands that Gaiman’s account is that they solely “cuddled” and “made out” within the tub and that he had established consent for this. His place is that, over the three-week sexual relationship that adopted, they solely ever engaged in consensual digital penetration.

Scarlett alleges that inside this in any other case consensual relationship Gaiman engaged in tough and degrading penetrative sexual acts together with her. Tortoise has seen contemporaneous messages, notes, and spoken to mates who Scarlett talked to on the time, which helps her allegations.

The second girl, Ok, was 18 when she met Gaiman at a e-book signing in Sarasota, Florida in 2003. She started a romantic relationship with him when she turned 20, and Gaiman was in his mid-40s, however alleges that she submitted to tough and painful intercourse that “she neither wished nor loved.” In a single incident she alleges Gaiman penetrated her regardless of her asking him to not as she was affected by a painful an infection. Gaiman’s place is that he denies any illegal behaviour with Ok and is disturbed by her allegations.

Tortoise understands that he believes Ok’s allegations are motivated by her remorse over their relationship and that Scarlett was affected by a situation related to false recollections on the time of her relationship with him, a declare which isn’t supported by her medical data and medical historical past.

Gaiman is on Time journal’s checklist of the world’s 100 most influential individuals. Credited with bringing comics to a worldwide viewers, he has been known as “essentially the most cherished dwelling author”. His writing has been tailored for Netflix and Amazon mini-series, Hollywood movies, and West Finish reveals. He delivered the final annual Tolkien Lecture at Oxford College and was chosen to open the newest season of the Queen’s Studying Room podcast.

THE FULL SERIES

Episode one: the bathtub

Neil Gaiman is likely one of the world’s most profitable authors. And some of the cherished. His works have been tailored for movie, TV and the stage. Now two ladies, a former nanny and a fan, allege he sexually assaulted and abused them whereas they had been in consensual relationships with him. He strenuously denies all of the allegations.

Episode two: the Whatsapps

The previous nanny who alleges Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her shares her WhatsApp messages with him. The messages seem pleasant and affectionate. He says they’re proof that she consented to intercourse with him. However is there one other manner of studying them?

Episode three: the pond

New Zealand police inform the previous nanny there isn’t sufficient proof to actively pursue her sexual assault criticism towards Neil Gaiman. He says he supplied himself up for an interview with the police. However the information could point out in any other case.

Episode 4: the fan

The second girl to allege Neil Gaiman sexually assaulted her first met him as an 18-year-old fan. They started a consensual sexual relationship two years later. She alleges he was abusive and as soon as penetrated her with out her consent. He strenuously denies any illegal behaviour and maintains all their intercourse was consensual.