Harrowing coverage of Neil Gaiman sexual assault allegations

Gaiman. Photo: nrkbeta (CC BY-SA 2.0)

In August 2024, a little-known company called Tortoise Media released a podcast series alleging that acclaimed fantasy author Neil Gaiman had a history of sexual assault. The podcast was largely reported by Rachel Johnson, sister of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to the reporting, the accusations were investigated by authorities, and the cases had been closed without charges. While the podcast painted an unflattering portrait of the beloved author, the accusations remained uncorroborated.

Until now. New York Magazine has published a detailed account into the allegations against Gaiman—including and beyond the details covered in the Tortoise Media podcast. The story was reported by Lila Shapiro, who previously exposed the many misdeeds of another beloved male feminist, Joss Whedon. But the Gaiman allegations are much worse; consider this your content warning for everything.

Gaiman has not been charged with any crimes, though his representatives did confirm that most of the allegations were true; by his own accounting, however, they were consensual, and thus not criminal. Many of the allegations are reminiscent of those against Armie Hammer, involving sexual encounters that were considered consensual BDSM by the rich, famous men involved in them. The women claim they were viciously abused, both physically and emotionally.

Gaiman's estranged spouse, Amanda Palmer, does not come out of this story looking great either. According to Shapiro's reporting, Palmer may have been arguably complicit in her husband's long trail of abuse—which includes at least 14 people, by Palmer's own account. It seems Palmer may have even written a song about it. Rather than focusing on the women whom she allegedly knew were being harmed by her husband, however, Palmer's song seems more interested in the ways the situation inconvenienced her.

There Is No Safe Word: How the best-selling fantasy author Neil Gaiman hid the darkest parts of himself for decades [Lila Shapiro / New York Magazine]