Wellington, New Zealand – Allegations of “rough and degrading sex” have been made against Neil Gaiman by two women in their early 20s over a span of two decades. The claims are the focus of a four-part podcast series investigation by Tortoise.
Gaiman has refuted both sets of allegations. The women, featured in “Master: the allegations against Neil Gaiman,” stated they were in consensual relationships with Gaiman when the assaults took place. One woman, Scarlett, 23, alleged that Gaiman sexually assaulted her in 2022 shortly after hiring her as a nanny for his child. She accused him of engaging in aggressive sexual acts and provided evidence to support her claims.
Gaiman maintains that the relationship was consensual, lasting only three weeks with no activities beyond heavy petting. He has vehemently denied all allegations of abusive behavior.
The second woman, identified as K., met Gaiman at a book signing in 2003 when she was 18. She claimed that their relationship began when she was 20 and he was 40, and she was subjected to unwanted and painful sexual encounters.
Tortoise reported that Gaiman believes K.’s allegations stem from regret over their relationship and that Scarlett was dealing with a condition linked to false memories during their time together. However, the podcast asserts that Gaiman’s claims are not supported by medical records and history.
Despite denying the claims, Gaiman also mentioned that New Zealand authorities did not accept his offer to assist with the 2022 allegations, suggesting the weakness of the claim. Officials informed Tortoise that they have been attempting to contact key individuals as part of their ongoing investigation.
The podcast investigating the allegations is hosted by Rachel Johnson, sister of former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, with producers Katie Gunning and Paul Caruana Galizia lending their expertise to the series.