Neil Gaiman denies sexual abuse of two young women

Bestselling author Neil Gaiman has denied allegations of sexual assault against two young women.

In an investigation for the Tortoise podcast, co-hosted by Rachel Johnson, Boris Johnson’s sister, two women claimed Gaiman involved them in sadomasochistic acts and told them to call him “master.”

Gaiman strongly denies the allegations and said all of the sex with the women – one of whom briefly worked as the family’s nanny and another is a fan he met at a book signing – was consensual.

The first woman said she was hired in 2022 by Gaiman’s then-wife, musician Amanda Palmer, to look after the couple’s son.

The woman, named Scarlett, claimed that within hours of their first meeting, Gaiman sexually assaulted her by stripping naked and joining her in the bathtub. She was 22 and he was 61.

Gaiman said the incident was limited to “cuddling” and “making out” and that he obtained consent for it.

On another occasion, Scarlett claimed that the sex between them was “so painful and so brutal” that she lost consciousness.

“The pain was heavenly,” she said. When she asked him to stop, Scarlett said, “he laughed and said I needed to be punished and used his belt on me.” Gaiman denies the allegation.

The relationship lasted another month before Gaiman left New Zealand and went to Britain, the woman said.

During this time, she sent him numerous messages indicating that she consented to the sexual activity.

She also claimed that she had to sign a non-disclosure agreement after quitting her job as the family’s nanny.

The second woman, an American known only as K, was an 18-year-old fan of Gaiman’s writing when she first met him at a book signing in Florida in 2003.

She kept in touch with him and a sexual relationship began when she was 22. He was in his 40s at the time.

K claimed that during a trip to Cornwall in 2007, she told Gaiman she did not want penetrative sex because she had a urinary tract infection, but he did it anyway and she “screamed” in pain. Gaiman said the allegation was false.

She remained friendly with Gaiman even after their relationship ended in 2008, but said on the podcast, “As I got older, I realized that when you’re in your 40s, 18- and 20-year-olds look like kids.” She added, “When the #MeToo thing became more nuanced, I thought, wait a minute, that’s what happened to me.”

K did not report Gaiman to the police.

Scarlett did so in October 2022, eight months after the end of her brief relationship with the author.

New Zealand police did not launch an investigation or question Gaiman, although he stated on the Tortoise podcast that he had offered to meet with officers.

The investigation into the Tortoise case began after Scarlett contacted Ms Johnson via Instagram and told her her version of events.

Tortoise said the investigation had “looked at the greyest of grey areas of our sex lives – the area where there is scope for real misinterpretation but also the possibility of serious abuse”.

The 63-year-old author is known worldwide for works such as The Sandman, American Gods and Good Omens, as well as many popular children’s books. His books have been adapted for film and television.

He and Palmer announced their separation in 2022. Previously, they had spoken of an open marriage.