Neil Gaiman has been dropped by Dark Horse Comics after a bomb attack New York Magazine cover story in which several women accused the author of ‘Sandman’ and ‘Coraline’ of sexual assault.
In one message on X On Friday evening, the publisher wrote: “Dark Horse takes the allegations against Neil Gaiman seriously and we are no longer publishing his works. This confirms that the ‘Anansi Boys’ comic series and collected volume have been canceled.
Gaiman denied the allegations in the Jan. 13 story, writing on his blog the next day: “I have not engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” Representatives for Gaiman did not immediately respond Variety‘s request for comment on Dark Horse Comics’ statement.
Amazon’s TV version of “Anansi Boys,” expected to be released this year, was unaffected 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 addressed the allegations from five women. However, the NY Mag article cemented the story as the first major news organization to confirm the full extent of the allegations against Gaiman.
In the NY Mag piece, titled “There Is No Safe Word,” reporter Lila Shapiro spoke with eight women who had similar experiences with Gaiman, four of whom also participated in Tortoise’s podcast. Accusers who 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, NY, a fan who first met the author when she was 18 and a woman who claimed he tried to sexually assault her on his tour bus. Many of the women claimed that Gaiman had a preference for rough sex and BDSM activities that were not consented to in advance.
In his statement, Gaiman expressed regret over the way he handled some relationships, writing that “I was emotionally unavailable while I was sexually available, focused on myself, and not as attentive as I could or should have been.” However, he denied all allegations of sexual assault, saying: “I am not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I cannot accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot and will not admit that I have done things which I have done. ‘don’t do that.’
Since Tortoise’s bomb report in July, several of Gaiman’s film and TV projects have been affected. Season 3 of Prime Video’s “Good Omens” now ends with one 90-minute episode, with Gaiman not part of the production. Disney has halted production on the film adaptation of “The Graveyard Book” and Netflix has canceled “Dead Boy Detectives,” although it is unclear whether this was related to the allegations. The second season of “The Sandman” is expected to be released on Netflix this year.