Neil Gaiman Faces Sexual Assault Allegations in Civil Lawsuits Filed in the US | Entertainment & Arts News
Neil Gaiman, the British author, faces sexual assault allegations through lawsuits filed by a woman in the United States.
The legal claims were submitted on Monday in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New York.
Previously, in January, Gaiman firmly rejected sexual assault allegations made by eight women as reported in a New York Magazine article. He expressed in a blog post that he acknowledges his imperfections but has “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”
In the current lawsuits, the female plaintiff alleges Gaiman is responsible for sexual assault, battery, violating human trafficking laws, and causing emotional distress.
The woman is pursuing damages amounting to at least $7 million (approximately £5.6 million).
Gaiman, known for writing the novel American Gods and The Sandman comic series, as well as the children’s fantasy book Coraline, has seen many of his works adapted into films and television series in recent years.
In July, a Tortoise Media podcast featured allegations from five women against him, four of whom were included in the previous New York Magazine article.
Following the publication of the article, publisher Dark Horse Comics has canceled forthcoming projects by Gaiman, and a UK stage adaptation of Coraline has been terminated.
What has Neil Gaiman stated?
In response to the allegations earlier this year, Gaiman mentioned that he had observed various stories about him circulating online for months with “horror and dismay.”
“As I went through this latest compilation of accounts, I found moments that I half-recognize alongside ones that did not occur,” he remarked.
“I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”
Gaiman reflected on the messages exchanged with his accusers, stating they indicated “two people enjoying fully consensual sexual relationships and looking forward to seeing one another again.”
He acknowledged that he “could have and should have done much better,” admitting to being “emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-centered, and not as considerate as I could or should have been,” and “obviously careless with people’s hearts and feelings.”
Nevertheless, he asserted, “some of the distressing stories currently circulating are entirely fictitious, while others have been so warped from the actual events that they bear no resemblance to reality.”
Sky News has reached out to Gaiman’s representatives for comments regarding the lawsuits.