Neil Gaiman — the best-selling creator whose work contains comedian e book sequence The Sandman and the novels Good Omens and American Gods — has denied sexual assault allegations made in opposition to him by two ladies with whom he had relationships with on the time, Tortoise Media stories.

The allegations had been made throughout Tortoise’s four-part podcast Grasp: the Allegations In opposition to Neil Gaiman, which was launched Wednesday. In it, the ladies allege “tough and degrading intercourse” with the creator, which the ladies declare was not at all times consensual.

One of many ladies, a 23-year-old named Scarlett, labored as a nanny to his youngster. She claimed Gaiman assaulted her in February 2022, simply hours after they’d first met, whereas in a shower at his New Zealand residence. Gaiman instructed the outlet that he and Scarlett “cuddled” and “made out” within the bathtub and that it was consensual; he added that within the three-week sexual relationship they had been in, they solely engaged in digital penetration.

Scarlett claims that whereas they had been in a consensual relationship, Gaiman additionally sexually assaulted her with non-consensual “tough and degrading penetrative sexual acts” per the outlet’s description in its investigation. In a single incident, the ache “was so painful and so violent” that she misplaced consciousness. “The ache was celestial,” she mentioned. When she requested him to cease, “he laughed and mentioned I wanted to be punished and used his belt on me,” she mentioned on the podcast, through The Telegraph. Gaiman denied the allegation to Tortoise.

The second lady, who glided by Ok, was 18 when she first met him in 2003 at a e book signing occasion in Florida. She claims they started a romantic relationship when she was 20 and he was in his mid-forties. Whereas they had been in a relationship, she alleges she was subjected to tough and painful intercourse “she neither wished or loved.” At one level, she alleged that he penetrated her regardless of her objecting as a result of she was within the midst of a urinary tract an infection; the incident left her “screaming” in ache. Gaiman denied Ok’s allegations and instructed Tortoise he was “disturbed” by the accusations. (Reps for Gaiman didn’t instantly return Rolling Stone’s requests for remark.)

Based on Tortoise’s investigation, Ok didn’t file a police report. Scarlett filed a criticism to New Zealand police in October 2022.

Gaiman instructed Tortoise that the police didn’t pursue his supply to help the investigation relating to the criticism, claiming that this confirmed the dearth of substance of the criticism. However New Zealand police instructed the outlet it made a “variety of makes an attempt to talk to key folks as a part of this investigation and people efforts stay ongoing,” including that there are “a variety of components to consider with this case, together with location of all events.”