Who Is Neil Gaiman, British Author Accused Of Sexual Assault By 8 Women

British author Neil Gaiman, renowned for works such as Good Omens, American Gods, and The Sandman, has been hit with new sexual assault and misconduct allegations. Eight women, including his child's babysitter, have accused the 64-year-old of assault, coercion, and abuse, according to a new report.

The nanny alleged that in February 2022, Gaiman sexually assaulted her in a New Zealand backyard bathtub. She also claims to have been assaulted in a hotel room while his son was nearby, with Gaiman allegedly ordering her to call him "master" and praising her as a "good little girl."

The women making these accusations were mostly in their 20s, with the youngest being 18, while Gaiman was in his 40s or older at the time of the alleged incidents, the report further said.

Who is Neil Gaiman?

• Neil Gaiman was born on November 10, 1960, in Portchester, Hampshire, England. His family has Polish-Jewish and Ashkenazi origins. He has two younger sisters, one of whom works for the Church of Scientology in Los Angeles.
• Gaiman attended Fonthill School, Ardingly College, and Whitgift School. He pursued journalism in the 1980s, conducting interviews and writing book reviews for the British Fantasy Society. He was influenced by the writings of Mary Shelley, Rudyard Kipling, Edgar Allan Poe, Alan Moore, and Gene Wolfe. He also admired Monty Python and was fascinated by Metal Hurlant comics during a trip to France at age 13. Gaiman cites Roger Zelazny as his biggest literary influence.
• Neil Gaiman began his writing career in 1984 with a short story. He later wrote a biography of the band Duran Duran and co-edited Ghastly Beyond Belief. In 1987, he collaborated with Terry Pratchett on Good Omens. Gaiman learned comic script writing and worked on Miracleman and Watchmen. He co-created The Sandman, introducing the character Death, and wrote The Books of Magic and Marvel 1602. He adapted Princess Mononoke and Beowulf for film and wrote the screenplay Neverwhere for BBC. Gaiman's works, including Stardust and Coraline, were adapted into movies, and he won Hugo Awards for Doctor Who's The Doctor's Wife and the Good Omens miniseries. In 2023, he voiced a character in Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose.
• In 2024, five women accused Neil Gaiman of sexual assault and abuse, with interviews featured on Tortoise Media and The New York Times. Allegations included groping at a book event, painful, unwanted sex, and demands for sexual favours. Gaiman denied the claims, including an accusation from writer Julia Hobsbawm. In response to these allegations, Disney halted The Graveyard Book film, and Good Omens season 3 production was delayed. Gaiman left the project in October.
• Neil Gaiman has been honoured with numerous prestigious awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and Bram Stoker awards, as well as the Newbery and Carnegie medals. He is the first author to win both the Newbery and Carnegie medals for the same book, The Graveyard Book (2008).