Content warning: This article contains content involving sexual assault, abuse, rape, grooming, sadomasochism, corporal punishment and child endangerment. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
on Monday, New York magazine pop culture website vulture publish no safe worda detailed report on the author’s sexual misconduct allegations Neil Gaiman. A lengthy read, by Lila Shapirobased on interviews with four (out of five) women whose allegations of sexual assault and abuse have been previously reported in the British media Turtle Media last summer, and the podcast Am I Broken: Survivor Stories“There are four other people whose stories have elements in common with theirs,” said a friend of Gaiman’s ex-wife. Amanda Palmer,etc.
It contains photos of the women as well as screenshots of text and video messages. The four women who have previously spoken out and are mentioned in the article are:
- Scarlett PavlovichThe 24-year-old New Zealander worked as a nanny for Gaiman and Palmer in 2022. behavior, often without her consent; she also said they had sex while his son, then approximately 7 years old, was nearby. After leaving New Zealand, Pavlovich’s friends convinced her that she had been raped, leading to trouble between her and Gaiman, and his marriage counselor, Wayne MuellerShe agreed to sign a confidentiality agreement and continued to care for his son, but reported his sexual assault to police in January 2023. Gaiman provided a written statement, while Palmer declined to be interviewed.
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Caroline WollnerThe 54-year-old potter lived with her husband on Gaiman’s property in Woodstock, New York, until their divorce in 2017. She also said Gaiman behaved inappropriately toward her while caring for his son, then 4 years old. It ended when he moved out and she decided to ignore his messages. In 2021, Gaiman asked her to leave, and the two eventually reached a confidentiality agreement for $300,000.
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Kendra StoutThe 39-year-old, an American fan, began dating Gaiman in 2003, when she was 18. turtleshe lodged a report with police claiming he raped her during a trip to the Cornish countryside in 2007. .
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Katherine KendallAnother American fan, 34, met Gaiman in 2012 when she was 22. Apologized and gave her $60,000 for treatment.
The new accusations come from “Brenda“(pseudonym) claimed that Gaiman behaved similarly when they slept together in 2002, giving up any pretense of being interested in her and indulging in the fantasy of becoming her “master”; and”Rachela fan and former partner of Palmer, whom he dated when she was 20 before dating Gaiman in 2012. The latter said there was never a “blatant breach of consent” but he always wanted her to do something Things that hurt and scared her.
Common threads among these female accounts include Gaiman’s insistence on being called “master” during sex and his emphasis on complete and complete dominance over his partner. One particularly disturbing allegation Pavlovich made was that after a week with Gaiman, Gaiman’s young son began calling her “slave” and asking her to call him “master.” Gaiman was reportedly amused, though he would remind the boy that she was not a slave and that he could not call her one.
The nature of Gaiman and Palmer’s marriage was discussed; the couple allegedly agreed to end their open marriage in 2014 when they were pregnant with their son, but Gaiman admitted he was dating a man in his early twenties The fan had an affair that took away her virginity and left her feeling uneasy as a girl as a result. His relationship with Rachel continued after this, and Wallner was an example of infidelity as he told her he wanted to change his ways; Palmer’s friends say she filed for divorce It was because Rachel admitted the relationship.
Additionally, the article explores Gaiman’s Scientology upbringing and reports that his parents, David and Sheila, did subject him to the church’s disciplinary methods: Sources say David tried to drown him in cold water to punish him in the bath, which seems to have inspired similar incidents in his novel The ocean at the end of the alley.
Gaiman, who has remained silent on social media since the allegations first came to light and declined multiple requests to comment for the article, issued his first personal statement on the matter on his blog. In it, he said he looked back on his relationship and admitted that “I clearly didn’t care about people’s hearts and feelings, and that’s something I really, really regret.” At the same time, he bluntly said, “I don’t accept that there are Any abuse. Again, I have never had non-consensual sex with anyone.
He concluded: “Some of the horrific stories now being circulated never happened, while others are gross distortions of what actually happened and have no bearing on reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any mistakes I make. I do not Willing to turn my back on the truth, I cannot accept being described as someone I am not and cannot and will not admit to doing something I did not do.
Gaiman’s legal representative also responded. In particular, they called Pavlovich’s account of having sex in a hotel room in the presence of his son “false, not to mention deplorable,” and denied Wollner’s similar story while claiming she initiated it Established a relationship with him. They said Palmer’s relationship was “entirely consensual” and accused him of being the “primary force” driving the claims as they are currently in the midst of divorce proceedings.
since Turtle MediaGaiman has resigned as showrunner, reports say good sign Season 3 (now shortened to a 90-minute special), and pre-production of the film version graveyard book Disney has suspended; this also prompted a response from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), which said it would “evaluate [Tortoise‘s] Detailed report” to confirm his continued status as Goodwill Ambassador.
dead boy detectivea spin-off series adapted by Netflix Sandmanwas canceled after one season, although it’s unclear if it had anything to do with the accusations while filming its second season Sandman It’s over. Both Sandman Season 2 and Prime Video Annecy boy Both miniseries are set to premiere this year, but at the time of writing, Netflix and Amazon declined to comment to multiple outlets about the allegations.
Gaiman’s publisher, Comics and Essays, has not commented on the allegations or announced any action, but with many fans publicly pledging to never read Gaiman’s books again, it’s clear that this side of things will be affected as well.
