Neil Gaiman is arguably one of the most popular writers of the 21st century.
The prolific author has created the mystical worlds of "The Sandman," "Good Omens," "Anansi Boys," "American Gods" and "Coraline." Not only have these works existed on the page but they've been adapted for the screen too, bringing Gaiman's most popular works to people all over the world on platforms like Netflix and Prime Video.
But Gaiman's legacy has been called into question since allegations of sexual assault have been leveled against him. In an exposé by Lila Shapiro for New York Magazine, new and old allegations of pervasive sexual abuse are shared by numerous women. Shapiro's reporting follows the news that broke from Tortoise Media last summer that Gaiman had been accused of sexual assault by numerous women. Their six-part podcast called "Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman" detailed those allegations from five women. Now, those women have come forward to speak on the record at length, sharing the fullest extent of their experiences with Gaiman, who maintains his innocence.
In the lengthy exposé, those women exposed alleged abuse from Gaiman which usually started as innocent interactions with his fans and employees. Here are some of the most shocking claims:
01 Gaiman allegedly got into a bathtub with a young nanny and then sexually assaulted her
A 22-year-old New Zealander, Scarlett Pavlovich, was invited by Gaiman's wife and musician, Amanda Palmer, to stay on the couple's estate on Waiheke Island as a nanny. When Palmer wasn't around, Gaiman invited Pavlovich to a bath which she was allegedly pressured into. She recalled him asking, "Why don’t you have a bath in the beautiful claw bathtub in the garden? It’s absolutely enchanting." In her account, Gaiman said he needed to make a work call and Pavlovich didn't want to be bored while she waited for pickup time for Gaiman's child.
Moments after she began her bath, Gaiman allegedly showed up naked and got into the tub. Gaiman is then said to have made small talk with Pavlovich before telling her to stretch her legs out and “get comfortable.”
She said to New York Magazine that she told him she felt uncomfortable with her body but he responded "It’s okay — it’s only me. Just relax. Just have a chat. Don’t ruin the moment."
She recalled at that point she felt “a subtle terror.” Pavlovich then claimed that Gaiman sexually assaulted her after she repeatedly rejected his advances. He allegedly told her, "Amanda told me I couldn’t have you" and that when his wife set that boundary, he "knew he had to have her."
02 Gaiman's nanny was suspicious of him, Googling past allegations
After the alleged incident with Gaiman, Pavlovich said she sat in the shower for an hour and cried. While she was in bed, she began to search the internet for any clues that may illuminate Gaiman's behavior. She said she Googled “Me Too” and “Neil Gaiman" but nothing came up. The only disparaging stories about the writer were on how he broke COVID lockdown rules in 2020.
03 There are similarities between Gaiman and his "Sandman" character Madoc
Since the reporting of sexual assault allegations against Gaiman in 2024, people have drawn parallels between the writer and one of his characters. One of Gaiman's most popular works, "The Sandman," focuses on a writer named Richard Madoc. Madoc struggles to find inspiration after the success of his first book — that is until he is given a gift from another author: a woman who has been locked away for 60 years. In "The Sandman," Madoc rapes the woman, Calliope, one of the Nine Muses, until his career thrives yet again.
At a certain point, Madoc even calls himself "a feminist writer" just like Gaiman. The character and his author have both also won a litany of major awards for their literary works. Gaiman is also a well-respected figure in the literary world, jumping from numerous genres like comics to fantasy and even children's books, similar to Madoc.
04 Gaiman allegedly wanted women to call him "master"
In his affairs with women, Gaiman is said to have had a specific request. After winning the top prize for his novel "American Gods" at the World Horror Convention, Gaiman allegedly slept with a woman named Brenda.
She recalled as they were hooking up that “he seemed to have a script."
She further explained, “He wanted me to call him ‘master’ immediately.” He also demanded that she promise him her soul. “It was like he’d gone into this ritual that had nothing to do with me.”
05 Most of the allegations leveled against Gaiman are from women who were in their 20s
In the New York Magazine investigation, Shapiro talked to many women who alleged sexual misconduct allegations against Gaiman.
Shapiro found that most of the women were in their 20s when they met Gaiman. "The youngest was 18. Two of them worked for him. Five were his fans," Shapiro wrote. But one exception was alleged forcible kissing when Gaiman was in his 20s. Most of the claims are from when Gaiman was in his 40s in various countries like the U.S., the U.K. and New Zealand.
06 Gaiman allegedly paid a woman $60,000 for therapy
Katherine Kendall was 22 when she met Gaiman. After volunteering for one of his events in 2012, the pair allegedly kissed and had a flirty, email and Skype correspondence.
Months later at a reading, Gaiman is said to have suggested that Kendall and two other girls wait for him on his tour bus. From here, Gaiman reportedly said to Kendall, "Kiss me." But Kendall said she was panicked. When Gaiman rolled off of her, Kendall recalled him saying, "I’m a very wealthy man and I’m used to getting what I want."
In a recorded phone call, Gaiman gave Kendall $60,000 to pay for therapy in an attempt “to make up some of the damage.”
07 Gaiman is allegedly interested in BDSM
Another accuser, Kendra Stout, met Gaiman when she was 18 and alleges that they would also correspond through email and eventually through video calls. Years after their initial meeting, she says that Gaiman flew her out for a date in Orlando.
Back in his hotel room, Gaiman allegedly shared his sexual kinks with Stout. She recalled, “He talked at length about the dominant and submissive relationship he wanted out of me." Stout said she was not interested in BDSM and Gaiman never asked what she liked in bed. She stated that there were never any "safe words" or "limits" and he asked her to call him "master" even though she didn't like it.
According to the podcast "Master," Gaiman's position was “sexual degradation, bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism may not be to everyone’s taste, but between consenting adults, BDSM is lawful.”
The writer also declined Shapiro's request to speak on the record but through an attorney, he responded to some claims.
08 Gaiman and his second wife, Amanda Palmer, were allegedly open about their affairs
During the early parts of the pair's marriage, Gaiman and Palmer allegedly encouraged each other to have affairs. Shapiro interviewed five of Palmer's friends who said the couple really upheld honesty in their relationship. Shapiro wrote, "They found that sharing the details of their extramarital dalliances — and sometimes sharing the same partners — brought them closer together."
In 2012, Palmer allegedly met a 20-year-old fan at a concert, who she would reportedly later have a sexual relationship with. This led to Palmer allegedly taking naked photos of the fan and sending the photos to Gaiman. Later, Palmer is said to have introduced this fan to her husband. The fan says she then began correspondence with Gaiman and that he flew her out to his home in Wisconsin.
The fan said there wasn't a “blatant rupture of consent” with Gaiman but that he pressed her to do sexual things that hurt and scared her. She said she feels Palmer gave her to him “like a toy.”
09 Gaiman's nanny was called a slave by Gaiman's son
After a week with the Gaiman family, Pavlovich shared that Palmer and Gaiman's son had begun to address her as a "slave" and ordered Pavlovich to call him “master.”
Shapiro wrote that "Gaiman seemed to find it amusing. Sometimes he’d say to his child, in an affable tone, 'Now, now, Scarlett’s not a slave. No, you mustn’t.'"
10 Pavlovich filed a police report accusing Gaiman of sexual assault
In 2023, Pavlovich filed sexual assault claims against Gaiman. Police told Pavlovich that they would need Palmer’s cooperation for the case to move forward against Gaiman.
Pavlovich told Shapiro, “I said to them, ‘She’s a public feminist, and she knows what happened. She’ll want to protect me. I’m sure she’ll speak.’”
However, when the police contacted Palmer, she declined to talk to them. Gaiman also did not speak with the police, but he provided a written statement. According to New Zealand officials, the "matter has been closed."
Meanwhile, Palmer and Gaiman are in the fifth year of a contentious divorce and custody battle. Since the sexual assault allegations, some of Gaiman's projects have been paused or canceled. "Good Omens," which was renewed for the third and final season, will end with a 90-minute episode. "The Graveyard Book" has been paused by Disney and "Dead Boy Detectives" has been canceled by Netflix even though the second season of "The Sandman" is set to premiere on the streamer this year. However, "Anansi Boys" is coming to Prime Video soon.
