Neil Gaiman is not as feminist as his books claim

By Kate Norrish Staff Writer On July 3, many news resources, such as Rolling Stone and Business Insider, released a story stating that author Neil Gaiman, who wrote books such as “Coraline,” and “American Gods,” had allegedly sexually assaulted two women - a 23-year-old nanny of his child named Scarlet in 2022, and an at the time 20-year-old fan in 2003, who is using the name K, according to Rolling Stone. Scarlet said while she was in a consensual relationship with Gaiman that included “cuddling” and “making out,” she was also subjected to “rough and degrading sex,” which at one point caused her to lose consciousness, according to The New Zealand Herald. K claims that after meeting Gaiman at a book signing, she entered a relationship with him, and was eventually forced to have sex, despite having an infection that made it painful for her, according to The New Zealand Herald. Soon after, two other women came forward. One claimed that Gaiman allowed her and her children to live on his property in exchange for sex. She later signed a non-disclosure agreement for a $275,000 payment to cope with the trauma of the relationship. The second woman said he forced her into “aggressive, unwanted” physical contact “out of the blue” in 1986, when they were both in their 20s, according to Tortoise. I write this as someone who has a battered copy of “The Graveyard Book” I bought when I was 10 and “Sandman” comics with my favorite scenes bookmarked on my bookshelves. These women should be believed, and what they say happened, which includes rape, is disgusting. It should not be disregarded by anyone, fans especially, and should tarnish Gaiman’s career. Although there has been speculation on the credibility of the original publication of this information, as Tortoise has published controversial views on trans lives that go against Gaiman’s support of transgender people, that is an incredibly dangerous assumption to put stock in, especially since I could not find a history of the news site publishing fake news or untrue accusations. The upcoming adaptation of his children’s novel “The Graveyard Book” by Disney has been postponed as a result, according to The Boston Globe, a decision that I strongly agree with, though I feel the accusation is enough to cancel production altogether. He has also offered to step back from the production of season three of “Good Omens,” which was initially a novel he wrote with author Terry Pratchett. I am a bit more hesitant of this decision, as I suspect he will still receive income when and if the new episodes are released. Shortly after the accusations, leaks for season two of “The Sandman,” based on his comic series, were released, showing that filming is well underway. A statement has not been released regarding how the accusations will affect production of the show. Initially, I’ll admit that I was confused about these reports, as many of Gaiman’s works have an anti-assault, pro-women leaning. However, upon rereading, I noticed that many of these scenes are extremely uncomfortable, and less feminist than I had previously believed. For example, “The Sandman” comic series contains a plot line where a woman is sent to Hell for refusing a sexual relationship with the main character. Ten thousand years later, he “fixes it,” by having her reincarnated. Said character’s other partners are shown to either be rescued by him as a start of the relationship, or are revealed to be terrible people after breaking up with him. I have also found that in TV adaptations of his works that he has taken part in, when a character’s gender is changed, it is often to their detriment - most obviously with a side character in “The Sandman.” Lucien The Librarian is changed from a shy, gentle, complex man, to a simplified “strong female character” trope. Due to the news about what happened to these women, I have made the decision to no longer purchase books, comics, or merchandise related to Neil Gaiman’s works. I will also not be watching his TV shows or movies on streaming services, or talking about his works on social media beyond information about the assault case. However, I will continue to enjoy the books, comics, and DVDs of his works that I already own. I recommend you do the same. I wish Gaiman’s victims well, and hope they receive justice for what happened to them.