Neil Gaiman Revealed to Have Paid Off Three Of His Accusers And Made Two Sign NDAs To Try To Silence Them
Matters get worse for The Sandman creator Neil Gaiman, as Tortoise Podcast dropped audio revealing him attempting to bribe one of his accusers and more.
More information about Neil Gaiman and his sexual assault allegations has dropped from Tortoise Media in what may be the most damning episode yet for The Sandman creator. They revealed that he’s paid off three of his female accusers in addition to the NDAs.
The first allegations against Neil Gaiman were hit from the Tortoise podcast, an investigative journalism outlet named for the Tortoise and the Hare fable, leaning toward “slow and steady wins the race.” They are well-known for doing deep dives on situations and gathering all the information to ensure accuracy before reporting.
During their first round of podcasts on Neil Gaiman, they revealed two women who accused the American Gods author of sexual assault—one who was his granddaughter’s age and acting as the babysitter/nanny of his child at the time. Neil Gaiman responded by saying they only cuddled in a bathtub, making the situation sound suspicious.
A third woman came out by revealing her therapy sessions after years of alleged manipulation by Gaiman, but then Tortoise revealed fourth and fifth accusers with very similar stories. The last may be the worst of all, as the woman alleges that Neil Gaiman blackmailed her by forcing her to do sexual acts in exchange for maintaining a place to live for her and her three daughters on his New York Estate.
Finally, a sixth accuser has come forward, alleging that Gaiman used and manipulated her when she worked for him as a massage therapist. This woman, who does not identify herself but has a current YouTube channel name that goes by CFR, posted a reaction to the Tortoise interviews a month ago detailing her experience with the Sandman creator.
Tortoise posted a new podcast on Neil Gaiman this week, not detailing any new accusations but revisiting an old one as they played audio recorded by one of the victims known as Claire, where Neil offered $60,000 to pay for her therapy bills and a hefty donation to a rape crisis center to try to lull her into silence and make it go away.
In the call, Neil Gaiman is mumbling and speaking in a smarmy yet soothing tone, saying, “…reading your letter, I – if I’d known that – I’d took up that headspace…”
He continued, “for you… I would’ve… I don’t know! I would’ve – I definitely would’ve been reaching out a long – time ago! I… I… you know… I’ve never thought of you with anything other than fondness, and… a little awkwardness, and… um… you know… have me feeling like I’ve got the wrong end of the stick, but I thought you were – terrific! And I – was heartbroken, seeing that I was giving you nightmares, and… (heavy sighs) So I’m really sorry!”
Later, Neil Gaiman says, “I did something so much shittier than I ever dreamed, I didn’t even realize I was doing something shitty,” seeming to admit to his wrongdoings.
Tortoise Podcast confirmed the payment to Claire was made for $60,000, but no payment was ever made to the rape crisis counseling center he had promised. He had apparently lied to her even in trying to pay her off for the torment she’d experienced.
The payments didn’t stop with her, however. Tortoise Podcast confirmed Neil Gaiman paid off two other of his victims. The original victim, who goes by the pseudonym Scarlett, received $8,000 and a non-disclosure agreement regarding the situation.
Caroline Warner, who alleged she lived in Neil Gaiman’s estate in New York with the threat of eviction if she didn’t perform sexual favors, was paid a whopping $275,000 and was forced to sign an NDA of her own.
All three victims were paid within eight months of each other, more than a year before this information began to leak to the public via the investigation. It seems as if Neil Gaiman was attempting to ensure the silence remained intact in anticipation of a public relations bomb dropping that would jeopardize his legacy.
With three women confirmed to have been paid off and a crisis management firm working overdrive to handle public perception of The Sandman creator’s image, it appears as if Neil Gaiman exemplifies the worst of everything he stood up for as a vocal male feminist in the publishing industry. The media is beginning to cover the situation as well, as Publisher’s Weekly even has an article about his sexual abuse after recent accusations, linking to the Tortoise podcast in their content. The media wall of silence might soon be breaking with this new evidence.
What do you think of Neil Gaiman paying off his accusers and making them sign NDA’s? Leave a comment and let us know.
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The mirror cracks.
Thank you for keeping on top of this.
Not saying this is all of the accusers, but at what point are women responsible for their own choices? The first "victim" who was interviewed at Tortise didn't allege any force or threats during the first encounter. Gaiman was boorish and climbed naked in the hot tub with the naked "victim." NOTHING in her story indicated he threatened her or attempted to stop her from climbing out, getting dressed, and walking 5 minutes to the ferry to go back home. Are women such delicate flowers they must be forever protected from their own stupid choices?