Best-selling British author Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual misconduct by eight women, including four who had previously spoken out. Gaiman, best known for his works Good Omens, American Gods, and The Sandman, is facing fresh allegations following a report by New York Magazine.
The article, published on Monday, builds on accusations first reported by Tortoise Media in 2024, with a podcast that detailed allegations from five women. The latest report, however, includes additional claims from three other women, bringing the total to eight. Four of the accusers had also appeared in the Tortoise podcast.
One of the new claims involves an incident where a woman, who was babysitting Gaiman’s five-year-old child, alleges that he invited her to take a bath in his garden before joining her naked in the tub and sexually assaulting her. Other women have made similar allegations, detailing interactions that involved BDSM activities, which they claim were not discussed or agreed upon in advance.
Gaiman’s representatives have denied the allegations, asserting that the interactions were consensual and that the women had participated willingly, referring to BDSM as lawful between consenting adults. In response to the accusations, Gaiman’s representatives also previously told Tortoise that any actions taken were in the context of consensual BDSM.
A police investigation into a sexual assault claim filed in January 2023 was later dropped.
The allegations have had significant impacts on Gaiman’s professional projects. The upcoming third season of Good Omens on Prime Video has been reduced to a single 90-minute episode, with Gaiman no longer involved in the production. Disney has paused its adaptation of Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book, and Netflix cancelled Dead Boy Detectives, though it remains unclear if the cancellations are directly related to the allegations.
Despite this, Gaiman’s The Sandman season two, which is due for release later this year on Netflix, is still proceeding, as well as the Prime Video series adaptation of Anansi Boys.
Leeds Playhouse, which is preparing a musical adaptation of Gaiman’s Coraline, has stated it will continue with the project, but no official response has been given to the latest claims.