It’s been seven months since news first broke of the sexual abuse allegations The Sandman And Good omens writer Neil Gaiman. During that period, Gaiman has largely disappeared from public view, distancing himself from his prolific, well-trafficked social media channels on Twitter, Tumblr and his own blog, and declining requests for interviews. But on January 13, an in-depth cover story appeared in a New York magazine about the allegations: ‘There is no safe word’ caused a stir on social media for its more extensive accounts of participants’ stories and additional confirmations of graphic details.
In response to New York magazine’s story, Gaiman provided an update his blog on Tuesday for the first time since June 2024, in response to the allegations:
Over the past few months, I have watched with horror and dismay the stories circulating about me on the Internet. I have remained silent until now, both out of respect for the people who shared their stories and a desire not to draw more attention to a lot of misinformation. I’ve always tried to be a private person, and increasingly felt that social media was the wrong place to talk about important personal matters. I’ve reached the point now where I feel I should say something.
The allegations of violent, coercive, degrading and non-consensual sexual conduct involving the author started appearing in July and August 2024, and Tortoise Media released a series of four and a half hour audio interviews titled Master: The Accusations Against Neil Gaiman. Those podcasts told the stories of five women who accused Gaiman of behavior ranging from unwanted touching to physical abuse and rape. More details came to light through interviews The New York Times And Rolling stone. Gaiman’s representatives denied the accusations, but Gaiman himself disappeared from public view without explanation.
His blog post, which does not mention the New York magazine piece but clearly responds to its content, directly denies the stories: “I have not engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” Using language familiar from other celebrity sexual misconduct cases, he writes about “looking long and hard at who I’ve been and how I’ve made people feel” and “trying to do the work it takes (…) I’ll continue to grow.”
He also admits that he is “emotionally unavailable while being sexually available,” describing his role in the relationships as “careless of people’s hearts and feelings (…) something I really, deeply regret. It was selfish of me. I was absorbed in my own story and ignored that of others.”
At the same time, he broadly states that the allegations are false or that their context has been misunderstood: “I do not accept that there is abuse,” he writes. “To reiterate, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone.” He goes on to say:
Some of the terrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others are so distorted from what actually happened that they no longer bear any relation to reality. I am willing to take responsibility for any mistakes I have made. I am not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I cannot accept being described as someone I am not, and I cannot and will not admit that I have done things that I have not done.