Bestselling author of The Sandman Neil Gaiman denies accusations of 'sexual assault'

Bestselling writer Neil Gaiman has strongly denied allegations of “non-consensual sex”  and “sexual assault” reported in a Tortoise investigation led by Rachel Johnson.

Neither of Neil Gaiman’s UK publishers have responded to requests for comment following the reports. The allegations are explored in a four-part podcast, "Master: The Allegations against Neil Gaiman". 

One woman alleges she was sexually assaulted by Gaiman in 2022 when she was working as a nanny to his child. She was 23 and he was in his 60s. This is also reported to be the subject of a police complaint in New Zealand. Another woman, who describes herself as a “fan”, alleges Gaiman was “abusive” and had non-consensual sex with her on one occasion, when she was 20 and Gaiman was in his 40s.

The Sandman author, 63, reportedly “strongly denies” the allegations, saying that he believed consent had been established. The two women making allegations were reportedly in otherwise consensual relationships with the author.

Gaiman’s most recent publishing has been with Headline and Bloomsbury in the UK; he has sold over 4m units for £34.9m since 2000, including the co-authored books such as Good Omens, written with Terry Pratchett.

Both publishers were contacted by The Bookseller for comment several times, but did not respond. Gaiman also works with Netflix on the adaptations of "The Sandman", and has worked with Audible on the audio versions, with Act IV said to be in production.

The Bookseller contacted New Zealand’s Police (Piki Ki Te Ao) for comment but could not verify that a police complaint was being investigated. 

A New Zealand Police spokesman said: "Unfortunately, we can’t respond to confirm a named individual is subject of a complaint under our privacy laws."

Crisis management firm Edendale Strategies is handling media requests but has not replied to a request from The Bookseller for comment.