Neil Gaiman has been dropped by Dark Horse Comics following a bombshell New York Magazine cover story in which several woman accused the “Sandman” and “Coraline” author of sexual assault.
In a post on X Friday night, the publisher wrote: “Dark Horse takes seriously the allegations against Neil Gaiman and we are no longer publishing his works. Confirming that the ‘Anansi Boys’ comic series and collected volume have been canceled.”
Gaiman denied the allegations brought forth in the Jan. 13 story, writing on his blog the next day: “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” Representatives for Gaiman did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment regarding Dark Horse Comics’ statement.
Amazon’s TV adaptation of “Anansi Boys,” which is expected to release this year, had not been affected by the allegations at the time of the NY Mag story. Variety has reached out to Amazon for further comment.
Back in July, Tortoise Media broke the news that Gaiman had been accused of sexual assault by two women and released a six-part podcast, “Master,” which covered the allegations of five women. However, the NY Mag article amplified the story as the first major news organization to corroborate the full extent of the allegations against Gaiman.
In the NY Mag piece, titled “There Is No Safe Word,” reporter Lila Shapiro spoke to eight women who had similar experiences with Gaiman, four of which also participated in Tortoise’s podcast. They accusers that spoke to NY Mag included a babysitter for Gaiman and his ex-wife Amanda Palmer’s child, a caretaker for Gaiman’s property in Woodstock, N.Y., a fan who first met the author when she was 18 and a woman who alleged he attempted to sexually assault her on his tour bus. Many of the women alleged that Gaiman had a preference for rough sex and BDSM activities that had not been consented to beforehand.
In his statement, Gaiman expressed regret for how he’s handled some relationships, writing that “I was emotionally unavailable while being sexually available, self-focused and not as thoughtful as I could or should have been.” However, he denied any allegations of sexual assault, saying “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.”
Since Tortoise’s bombshell report in July, several of Gaiman’s film and TV projects have been affected. Season 3 of Prime Video’s “Good Omens” will now end with one 90-minute episode, with Gaiman not part of the production. Disney paused production on its film adaptation of “The Graveyard Book” and Netflix canceled “Dead Boy Detectives,” though it’s unclear if it was related to the allegations. “The Sandman” Season 2 is still expected to release this year on Netflix.
