Good Omens creator Neil Gaiman denies allegations of sexual assault

Note: The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct allegations.

Good Omens creator Neil Gaiman has denied allegations of sexual assault from multiple women.

The author has been subject to claims from eight women in a piece published by New York Magazine this week, four of whom previously spoke out in Tortoise Media’s podcast series Master in 2024.

Gaiman has now released a statement on his website addressing the allegations, writing: “Over the past many months, I have watched the stories circulating the internet about me with horror and dismay.

“I’ve stayed quiet until now, both out of respect for the people who were sharing their stories and out of a desire not to draw even more attention to a lot of misinformation.”

Gaiman noted that he “half-recognises” some moments that are recounted in the claims, but said others “emphatically did not happen”.

“I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever,” he categorically stated.

Gaiman said he has re-read the messages he exchanged with the women, claiming they “read now as they did when I received them – of two people enjoying entirely consensual sexual relationships and wanting to see one another again”, adding that at the time “they seemed positive and happy on both sides”.

“I also realise, looking through them, years later, that I could have and should have done so much better,” he continued. “I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been.”

He went on to say that he regrets being “careless” and “selfish” when it came to people’s feelings towards him, and has spent months “trying to do the work needed” to learn from his past actions.

“To repeat, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone,” he concluded. “Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality.

“I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made. I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can’t accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit to doing things I didn’t do.”

Gaiman was the subject of a complaint about sexual assault to New Zealand police in 2023, though this was dropped.

Following the release of the Tortoise podcast, a number of Gaiman projects were affected, with Good Omens season 3 having its production halted. Gaiman subsequently stepped away from the show and the season has been turned into a 90-minute special.