After a further quartet of ladies not too long ago got here ahead to accuse the once-esteemed writer of sexual assault, The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman has lastly damaged his self-imposed radio silence and provided his first public response to the harrowing claims made in opposition to him.
As beforehand reported, Gaiman’s present controversy first started in July 2024 when British information outlet Tortoise Media revealed a six-part podcast detailing the tales of two separate girls who claimed to have been assaulted by the writer.
The primary girl, a fan of Gaiman’s writing recognized solely as Ok, claimed that within the early-2000s, when she was aged simply 20 and Gaiman was in his mid-40s, she was topic to a wide range of painful sexual acts which “she neither needed nor loved”.
The second girl, identified solely as Scarlet, accused Gaiman of assaulting her in a tub at his New Zealand residence, with the assault apparently taking place shortly after they met in February 2022 when she labored at his home as a nanny.
Although Gaiman by no means issued an official public response to the podcast’s contents, he did inform Tortoise Media that he “strongly denies any allegations of non-consensual intercourse with the ladies and provides New Zealand police didn’t take up his provide of help over one girl’s criticism in 2022, which, he says, displays its lack of substance.”
Sadly, these girls wouldn’t be the final to come back ahead with such accusations in opposition to the writer.
On January13th, New York Journal would publish a bit by Lila Shapiro titled ‘There Is No Protected Phrase: How the best-selling fantasy writer Neil Gaiman hid the darkest elements of himself for many years’, therein detailing the personally-provided tales of 4 further girls who claimed to have been assaulted by the writer.
Notably, every girl’s story is equal elements in depth, harrowing, and straight-up repugnant, and as such, it is strongly recommended that these curious as to the total particulars of their experiences learn Shapiro’s piece in full.
Nonetheless, to supply a really, very temporary abstract of every accuser and her story:
- Scarlett Pavlovich, aged 22 on the time Gaiman’s assaults came about, says that the writer would repeatedly try to pressure her into tough and undesirable sexual conditions, comparable to “anal intercourse with out lubrication” or urinating on his hand and telling her to “lick it off”
- Kendra Stout, then aged 21, recollects that at one level throughout her temporary relationship with Gaiman, she developed a very painful Urinary Tract An infection (UTI) that precluded her from partaking in sexual activity. Regardless of her protestations, she says Gaiman nonetheless proceeded to forcibly penetrate her.
- Katherine Kendall, then aged 22, claims that in a guide tour in 2012, she was invited onto the writer’s bus beneath social pretenses, solely to then discover herself warding off Gaiman’s slightly forceful and undesirable advances.
- Caroline, then aged 54, asserts that after partaking in a sexual relationship with Gaiman, the writer started to make use of the girl as his private ‘property’, even going as far as to supply her a dwelling area on his farm in alternate for her ‘providers’.
One notably reprehensible element discovered inside these tales is that, in accordance with Pavlovich and Caroline, Gaiman would repeatedly and unashamedly have interaction in full-blown sexual activity well-within view of his child-aged son, generally even going as far as to talk with him whereas mid coitus.
Additional, Pavlovich additionally identifies Gaiman’s spouse, musician Amanda Palmer, as an enabler of her husband’s abusive conduct.
Following the piece’s publication, Gaiman took to his private weblog to supply his first private assertion on the scandal unfolding round him.
“Over the previous many months, I’ve watched the tales circulating the web about me with horror and dismay I’ve stayed quiet till now, each out of respect for the individuals who have been sharing their tales and out of a want not to attract much more consideration to lots of misinformation,” he started. “I’ve at all times tried to be a personal individual, and felt more and more that social media was the mistaken place to speak about vital private issues. I’ve now reached the purpose the place I really feel that I ought to say one thing.”
“As I learn by means of this newest assortment of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of issues that occurred sitting beside issues that emphatically didn’t occur,” he then asserted. “I’m removed from an ideal individual, however I’ve by no means engaged in non-consensual sexual exercise with anybody. Ever.”
To this finish, he then famous, “I went again to learn the messages I exchanged with the ladies round and following the events which have subsequently been reported as being abusive. These messages learn now as they did after I obtained them – of two folks having fun with solely consensual sexual relationships and desirous to see each other once more. On the time I used to be in these relationships, they appeared constructive and comfortable on each side.”
“And I additionally realise, trying by means of them, years later, that I may have and will have accomplished so significantly better,” the Coraline creator continued. “I used to be emotionally unavailable whereas being sexually obtainable, self-focused and never as considerate as I may or ought to have been. I used to be clearly careless with folks’s hearts and emotions, and that’s one thing that I actually, deeply remorse. It was egocentric of me. I used to be caught up in my very own story and I ignored different folks’s.”
“I’ve spent some months now taking an extended, laborious have a look at who I’ve been and the way I’ve made folks really feel,” stated Gaiman. “Like most of us, I’m studying, and I’m attempting to do the work wanted, and I do know that that’s not an in a single day course of. I hope that with the assistance of excellent folks, I’ll proceed to develop. I perceive that not everybody will imagine me and even care what I say however I’ll be doing the work anyway, for myself, my household and the folks I really like. I will probably be doing my absolute best to deserve their belief, in addition to the belief of my readers.”
“On the similar time, as I mirror on my previous – and as I re-review every thing that really occurred as opposed to what’s being alleged – I don’t settle for there was any abuse,” he asserted. “To repeat, I’ve by no means engaged in non-consensual sexual exercise with anybody.”
Drawing his assertion to a detailed, Gaiman declared, “A few of the horrible tales now being advised merely by no means occurred, whereas others have been so distorted from what really came about that they bear no relationship to actuality.”
“I’m ready to take duty for any missteps I made,” he concluded. “I’m not prepared to show my again on the reality, and I can’t settle for being described as somebody I’m not, and can’t and won’t admit to doing issues I didn’t do.”
Notably, Palmer additionally issued a press release within the wake of Shapiro’s article going stay – Nonetheless, hers quantities extra to a ‘no remark’ than something of substance.
Taking to her private Instagram, The Dresden Dolls vocalist knowledgeable the general public, “As there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings, I’m not capable of provide public remark. Please perceive that I’m at the beginning a mother or father. I ask for privateness right now.”
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