Neil Gaiman has responded to a New York Magazine cover story in which several women accused the “Sandman” and “Coraline” author of sexual assault, writing on his personal blog, “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”
In the full statement, posted Tuesday morning, the author expressed regret for how he has handled personal relationships, writing that “I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been.” However, he underlined that he denies any allegation of sexual assault: “I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn’t do.”
Back in July, Tortoise Media broke the news that Gaiman had been accused of sexual assault by two women and released a six-part podcast, “Master,” which covered the allegations of five women. However, the NY Mag article amplified the story as the first major news organization to corroborate the full extent of the allegations against Gaiman.
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In the NY Mag piece, titled “There Is No Safe Word,” reporter Lila Shapiro spoke to eight women who had similar experiences with Gaiman, four of which also participated in Tortoise’s podcast. The accusers that spoke to NY Mag included a babysitter for Gaiman and his ex-wife Amanda Palmer’s child, a caretaker for Gaiman’s property in Woodstock, N.Y., a fan who first met the author when she was 18 and a woman who alleged he attempted to sexually assault her on his tour bus. Many of the women alleged that Gaiman had a preference for rough sex and BDSM activities that had not been consented to beforehand.
Gaiman has strenuously denied all allegations against him since the Tortoise podcast came out, asserting that all relations were consensual; this new blog post marks his most comprehensive statement on the allegations yet.
Since Tortoise’s bombshell report in July, several of Gaiman’s film and TV projects have been affected. Season 3 of Prime Video’s “Good Omens” will now end with one 90-minute episode, with Gaiman not part of the production. Disney paused production on its film adaptation of “The Graveyard Book” and Netflix canceled “Dead Boy Detectives,” though it’s unclear if it was related to the allegations. But “The Sandman” Season 2 is still expected to release this year on Netflix, in addition to Prime Video’s “Anansi Boys” series adaptation.
Read Gaiman’s full statement below.
Over the past many months, I have watched the stories circulating the internet about me with horror and dismay. I’ve stayed quiet until now, both out of respect for the people who were sharing their stories and out of a desire not to draw even more attention to a lot of misinformation. I’ve always tried to be a private person, and felt increasingly that social media was the wrong place to talk about important personal matters. I’ve now reached the point where I feel that I should say something.
As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen. I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.
I went back to read the messages I exchanged with the women around and following the occasions that have subsequently been reported as being abusive. These messages read now as they did when I received them – of two people enjoying entirely consensual sexual relationships and wanting to see one another again. At the time I was in those relationships, they seemed positive and happy on both sides.
And I also realise, looking through them, years later, that I could have and should have done so much better. I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been. I was obviously careless with people’s hearts and feelings, and that’s something that I really, deeply regret. It was selfish of me. I was caught up in my own story and I ignored other people’s.
I’ve spent some months now taking a long, hard look at who I have been and how I have made people feel.
Like most of us, I’m learning, and I’m trying to do the work needed, and I know that that’s not an overnight process. I hope that with the help of good people, I’ll continue to grow. I understand that not everyone will believe me or even care what I say but I’ll be doing the work anyway, for myself, my family and the people I love. I will be doing my very best to deserve their trust, as well as the trust of my readers.
At the same time, as I reflect on my past – and as I re-review everything that actually happened as opposed to what is being alleged – I don’t accept there was any abuse. To repeat, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone.
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. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn’t do.