Niel Gaiman accused of sexual assult.

[Phillip Gastone]

Link

Very bad news.

[Bjørn Røyrvik]

Yikes!
I very much want to believe his innocence, and I also very much want to believe victims of any form of abuse. Sadly, it's probable that the allegations are true, based on how these sorts of things usually turn out.

[Aberzombie]

I was saddened to hear this. I have a great deal of respect for Gaiman as a writer.

[Chris Mortika]

When you are 60, rich, and famous; your claim that a sexual relationship with a domestic employee in her 20s was consensual is, itself, a problematic defense. There's a disparity of power in the relationship that makes the woman's consent a tricky thing.

[Freehold DM]

I'll never forget meeting him. He was the first famous author I met. My autographed copy of American Gods is prized. Oh please don't let this be true. It would be devastating.

[Themetricsystem]

I'm going to reserve judgment here, but just like the Justin Roilan accusations that turned out to be complete bunk, I think that the allegations alone are going to be enough to ruin NG's career even it it's determined that nothing illegal occurred.

I'm not saying I disbelieve the claims, after all, he is a wildly successful and wealthy known pervert, but investigations will end up getting to the bottom of it in time. I do agree that power dynamics like are at the center of this story are troubling for sure but anyone with half a brain has to come to grips with the reality that the rich and influential people have and always will take whatever they think they can unless they're met with direct and usually forceful rejection, it's not a nice reality but it is immutable human nature.

I will say though that it feels like a very dark timeline where folks have to feel like they need to either choose to believe a tale of sexual exploitation and abuse or that women are making false allegations for their own benefit.