Claire Mabey listens to Master, the Slow Newscast podcast that investigates allegations of sexual assault against Neil Gaiman.

The podcast includes graphic descriptions of sexual abuse, sexual degradation, rape and suicidal ideation. So please take care if you do decide to listen, and if you read this piece. 

Master: The allegations against Neil Gaiman is a five-part (so far) podcast series that examines three women’s allegations of abuse by author Neil Gaiman. The first allegation presented is from New Zealand woman Scarlett*, who first contacted one of the podcast hosts via Instagram after she felt the New Zealand police complaint she filed against Gaiman was not going to go anywhere. 

The podcast is made by Slow Newscast, the audio arm of Tortoise media, a UK-based platform for investigative journalism, and hosted meticulously by Rachel Johnson and Paul Caruana Galizia.

This story begins in Aotearoa when Gaiman, his then-wife Amanda Palmer and their six-year-old son were locked down here after the borders were closed by Covid in 2020. There were numerous reports at the time about the two famous people stranded here. But their time in New Zealand marked the beginning of the end of their marriage: in November 2022 the pair each posted statements on their blogs that they were divorcing.

Johnson and Caruana Galizia take care to frame the story in Master as complex: the accounts and allegations of abuse against Gaiman are within the context of consensual relationships. The journalists dive into “grey areas” introduced by apparently conflicting communications between accusers and the alleged; and Gaiman categorically denies any non-consensual sexual acts or evidence of it.

The focus of episodes one and two is Scarlett, a young New Zealand woman. In the podcast, Scarlett’s character is drawn as young and vulnerable. Scarlett is estranged from her parents, and her only previous sexual experience prior to Gaiman is a negative one, as a teenager, with a middle aged man. A friend of Scarlett’s who is interviewed in the podcast says that Scarlett is one of the most vulnerable people she has known and more than anything wants to feel like she belongs somewhere and is loved. Throughout the podcast, Scarlett’s manner makes light of her trauma – it is a familiar, perhaps particularly New Zealand way of talking about hard things. She tells the journalists that all she wants is for Gaiman to be “held to account; that’s literally all I want”.

Timeline of key events, as presented in Master, episodes one and two: 

2021 (month not specified)

Scarlett is a long-time fan of Amanda Palmer, a musician and writer, former lead singer of the Dresden Dolls. Scarlett randomly meets Palmer on the street in Auckland (the precise timing of this meeting isn’t given in the podcast) and they become friends. 

February 4, 2022 

On Friday February 4 2022, Palmer asks Scarlett if she would look after her son so she can work. Scarlett agrees. Up until this point, Scarlett has never met Gaiman because he lives in a separate house to Palmer on Waiheke Island (both Palmer and Gaiman live on Waiheke). 

After a day of looking after Palmer and Gaiman’s son in Auckland, Palmer asks Scarlett if she’d travel to Waiheke that evening too, and for the weekend. Palmer suggests that Scarlett be their nanny full time. There’s no contract, but an offer of $25 an hour is on the table. It will be a live-in job, and will include cooking and cleaning as well as childcare. 

Afternoon 

That Friday afternoon at 2pm Scarlett meets Gaiman and son at the ferry terminal in Auckland. Gaiman and son travel to Waiheke ahead of Scarlett who goes to grab an overnight bag before getting a later ferry to Waiheke. She’s now in touch with Gaiman by Whatsapp and is directed to his house. 

When she arrives to Gaiman’s house on foot, the child is taken to a playdate at Palmer’s friend’s place down the road – with no clear pick up time – leaving Scarlett alone with Gaiman. Scarlett says she felt “fucking awkward” and wondered “what the hell I was doing there.” 

After Gaiman finishes his work he suggests they get a pizza (the Whatsapp messages show this is 7.39pm) and that she go and collect it. Scarlett’s account is that after they eat the pizza together outside, Gaiman offers to run her a bath. 

Evening

The bath is the beginning of the allegations of abuse and the divergence of Gaiman and Scarlett’s stories. 

According to Scarlett, Gaiman runs the bath (outside, in the garden, under a pōhutukawa tree) and tells her to get out when she’s ready. Then he comes down to the bath naked and gets in. Scarlett remembers his nonchalance is disarming – that she is shocked and bewildered – and makes her wonder if it’s normal. She knows Palmer has a liberal attitude towards nudity so has that as a framing context. 

Scarlett doesn’t get out of the bath when Gaiman gets in, but draws up her legs. She remembers being scared. What follows is an account of assault: Scarlett says that Gaiman pressured her to put down her legs, that he digitally penetrated her anally without consent. She tells the podcast that anal is the last thing on the planet she’d ever want to do. She also says that Gaiman jerked off on her, and said filthy things and ordered her to call him “master”. 

Scarlett tells the podcast that Gaiman tried to make her feel like it was consensual but it wasn’t. 

This is all within five hours of their first ever meeting.

The podcast reports Gaiman’s response to the allegations: Gaiman says he established consent before he got in the bath, that he invited her to take a bath with him, and denies penetrating her with his penis (the podcast understands he accepts digital penetration).

Late evening

Scarlett and Gaiman both go to collect Gaiman and Palmer’s child. Scarlett says it was “fucking awkward” because they both had wet hair. She says she asked Gaiman to drop her to Palmer’s house (also on Waiheke) because she felt unsafe returning to his. 

At 11.23pm Scarlett makes a note on her phone and records some of what she remembers, including “call me Master and I’ll come”. 

She says she couldn’t sleep and stayed up all night.

February 5 2022, morning

In the morning, Scarlett texts her friend saying she and Gaiman had sex in the bath, and that she is in a state of shock and she hasn’t slept at all. Her friend tells her to look after herself and asks if she needs to talk. Scarlet replies saying she is calm but confused, and that everything is OK and that she’s sorry for texting. She says “I know it crossed the boundaries. Everything happened so quickly”.

Scarlett says she googled “Neil Gaiman sexual assault” and “Neil Gaiman Me Too” that night. She tells the podcast that she used private browsing so there is no record of this. 

At 8.48am, minutes after she texts her friend about crossed boundaries, Scarlett Whatsapps Gaiman to plan the day of looking after the child. She signs off with, “thank you for a lovely, lovely night. Wow. X”

February 5 2022, evening

Scarlett says that in the evening, after the child is put to bed, Gaiman anally penetrates her without consent with his penis, without a condom, and uses butter as lubricant. 

Scarlett later texts her friend to say she had good but rough sex with Gaiman and not to tell anyone. 

The podcast reports that Gaiman’s response is that he never anally penetrated Scarlett with his penis, and because he knew that she’d had a previous negative sexual experience he was considerate and only used fingers. Gaiman’s account, as reported by the podcast, is that he discovered within two days of meeting Scarlett that she was into mild BDSM which they then engaged in over a three-week sexual relationship. 

February 4 2022 – February 25 2022

Scarlett and Gaiman’s sexual relationship lasts for three weeks and includes sexual degradation including choking, use of a belt and rough sex. Scarlett describes one incident that she says was so painful and so violent that she passed out. She says when she woke up she found Gaiman watching online rehearsals of a show in Scotland and hadn’t noticed she’d passed out and that there was blood. She said she did ask him to stop when sex became painful but alleges he would get angry, or would laugh, and would say she needed to be punished. She alleges that she had to perform oral sex on him after anal sex. She says she was always bleeding. 

The podcast doesn’t present any response from Gaiman on these specific allegations/incident descriptions, however it is repeated throughout the podcast that Gaiman denies any non-consensual acts. 

Scarlett lives in Gaiman’s house as part of the live-in nanny job with Palmer and Gaiman. It is not made clear in the podcast whether Scarlett also spent nights in Palmer’s house as part of the job. 

February 9 (approximately)

The podcast hosts read out a message from Scarlett to Palmer that includes the words “love hanging out with you lot. My heart is so full. It’s nice to have friends again … I cried on the ferry because I realised how lonely I’ve been for the last six months”. 

Scarlett tells the podcast that they made her feel like she was part of their family and that she was made to feel deeply connected to them. 

The podcast hosts point out that Scarlett was estranged from family and now dependent on the Palmer-Gaiman family for money and board. 

February 19 2022

Scarlett recalls another incident in room 1619 at the SkyCity Grand where she says Gaiman penetrated her without her consent, and put his hand around her mouth without consent. 

The podcast reports that Gaiman strenuously denies any non-consensual acts. He says they cuddled fully dressed under the bedsheets of the bed in the hotel. He says they never had full penetrative sex. 

February 25 2022

On February 25, Gaiman leaves New Zealand for the UK. Scarlett says that the morning he left he looked at her and said, “You’re going to be the death of me. I would have never laid a finger on you had I known you were this inexperienced and so vulnerable.” 

The podcast doesn’t say whether Gaiman confirms or denies saying this. However it is made clear that Scarlett and Gaiman remained in contact after his departure. 

On this same day, Scarlett tests positive for Covid and is looked after by her friend and by Palmer.

March 7, 2022

On March 7 2022, Scarlett tells Palmer that Gaiman had made a pass at her and says that Palmer replied: “I bet he did.” Scarlett then tells Palmer everything that had happened between herself and Gaiman. 

Scarlett says that Palmer told her that she was the 14th woman that had gone to her about Gaiman’s behaviour. They stay up talking until 2am. 

Scarlett stays the night at Palmer’s house and hears Palmer pacing all night. 

Palmer did not answer any messages or requests for information or interviews by the podcast hosts.

March 10 (approximately)

Palmer texts Scarlett saying Gaiman owes her an apology. 

The hosts read out a message that Gaiman sends to Scarlett saying Palmer has told him that Scarlett is “having a rough time” and “that you are really upset with me about what we did” and that he feels awful about it, and does she want to talk about it. 

Scarlett goes to stay with her friend (the same one who looked after her when she had Covid). Scarlett tells her everything that happened from the bath incident onward. 

Scarlett’s friend says her initial response was that it was disturbing and weird. Her view is that Gaiman used Scarlett and that she was “easy prey for him”. Scarlett’s friend’s partner wrote a PhD under a world renowned scholar of coercion, consent and assault. The couple ask Scarlett to go and see a friend of theirs called Paulette Benton-Greig.

March 13, 2022

Benton-Greig is a lawyer and academic and used to run a service for victims of sexual assault. 

Gaiman’s view, as reported by the podcast, is that Scarlett’s friends and Benton-Grieg have an academic interest in issues of sexual consent and so influenced Scarlett to see her relationship with Gaiman as abusive. 

Benton-Greig tell the hosts she was only there to listen to Scarlett. 

During their conversation, Scarlett tells Benton-Greig that she has not yet been paid by Palmer and Gaiman for her work as their nanny and that she is still living in Gaiman’s house on Waiheke. 

March 2022

Scarlett’s friend receives a message from Palmer thanking her for looking after Scarlett after Gaiman left New Zealand. She includes the words, “it’s been a rough month for everyone”.

Scarlett’s friend is furious and sends Palmer an 800-word message stating that she thinks Palmer hasn’t grasped the severity of the situation for Scarlett. In the message, she reiterates Scarlett’s account of violent sex and says to Palmer that Scarlett is “one of the most vulnerable people I have ever met. One of the things she most desperately wants is to be loved and be part of a family. That she would take any amount of shit in order to not be rejected.” 

The friend goes on to say that “eventually this is all going to come out” and that they are “very worried about Scarlett”. She also includes the words “you knew what kind of person Neil is when you put Scarlett into his house” and that she and her husband are concerned about this happening again to other women. 

This friend says on the podcast that she sent the message because she was “so fucking angry with Amanda for putting Scarlett in that situation”. 

She says that Palmer replied to say she “did not know much of this, it is horrifying, and I deeply appreciate you sharing it with me”. She also says “this is a very fucking bad situation”. 

March 24 2022

The podcast hosts read out the following Whatsapp conversation between Gaiman and Scarlett: 

Gaiman: “When Amanda told me that you’re telling people I’d raped you and were planning to MeToo me I wanted to kill myself. But I’m getting through it a day at a time. But it’s been two weeks now and I’m still here, fragile but not great.”

Scarlett: “Oh my god Neil, I never said that, I’m deeply because it’s triggered things from my past and also for many reasons I feel whiplash but I’m horrified by your message. MeToo you? Rape? What? This is the first I’ve heard of this. Wow. I need a moment to digest your message.”

Scarlett: “Okay it’s been way out of proportion it seems, my heart is pounding, I’m so sorry you’ve been so not okay. I had no idea. I have never used the word rape, I’m just so shocked, I honestly don’t know what to say.”

Gaiman: “It was very unstabilizing. I spent a week actively not killing myself if you see what I mean.”

Scarlett: “The more I hear the more I am dying inside. I can’t believe this is being told to you, it’s absolutely not true, I feel sick to my stomach.”

Gaiman: “Heart pounding.”

Scarlett: “I feel like bawling my eyes out. I would never MeToo you. I don’t know where that came from. And I have told Amanda that even though it began questionably, eventually it was undoubtedly consensual and I enjoyed it. Heart is pounding too. Neil, I’m so deeply sorry to hear how terrifying this has been for you. I feel like I am being head fucked. I am so so shocked.”

The podcast hosts say that the exchange also includes a request from Gaiman to Scarlett: he asks her if she would talk to his therapist (Wayne Muller) to tell him what she has now told Gaiman. Scarlett agrees. She tells the podcast that Gaiman’s therapist calls her and she speaks to him. 

Gaiman’s response is that he doesn’t know what the “questionably” refers to but imagines it is the impromptu bath.   

Wayne Muller didn’t respond to the podcast team’s attempts to talk with him before the series was released. 

March 26, 2022

Gaiman messages Scarlett to say that the long message Scarlett’s friend sent to Palmer makes him look like a monster and that knowing Scarlett is prepared to say that it’s not true and that it was consensual makes him “more grounded”. Scarlett responds that it was consensual. 

The podcast reports that Gaiman views Scarlett’s messages as proof of a consensual relationship. 

April 10, 2022

Scarlett’s mental health rapidly declines until, on April 10, 2022 she is admitted to hospital with suicidal thoughts. Scarlett says that while in hospital she talked to a nurse about why she was suicidal and came to view her relationship with Gaiman as problematic. 

Gaiman responds to questions from the podcast, saying he thinks they should treat Scarlett’s allegations with caution as they first surfaced when she was hospitalised for the treatment of a condition that’s associated with false memories. The podcast says that Scarlett’s medical records show Gaiman’s claim that she has a pre-existing condition is false. They also say that medical records show she presented to the hospital on April 10 as a genuinely high risk of suicide. The podcast also establishes that Scarlett told Palmer, her friends, and Benton-Grieg about her concerns about her relationship with Gaiman, before she got to hospital.

April 11, 2022

Scarlett is discharged from hospital. 

April 15, 2022

Gaiman sends Scarlett video messages of support, including the message that suicide is a “permanent end to temporary problems” and that he thinks she is a “funny, smart and good person” and she has to stick around so she can meet [the actor] Fiona Shaw. Scarlett replies and thanks him. She includes that it is lovely to hear his voice, and that the Fiona Shaw idea helps her. 

Fiona Shaw sends Scarlett a video message saying, “I understand you’re going through a tough time and a rough time” and that she hopes she will be better soon and that they will get to meet.

Gaiman did not respond to specific questions from production about the Shaw video, or what he told Shaw for her to agree to sending the video.

On the same day Gaiman sends the videos of support (April 15, 2022) Scarlett reaches out to a former employee of Gaiman and Palmer. Scarlett had heard that this young woman also had a hard time in the Gaiman-Palmer household. Scarlett tells the former employee that some pretty awful things happened while with Gaiman, and asks if similar things happened to her.

The woman responds concerned about Scarlett but does not answer the question. 

May 11, 2022

Scarlett receives an NDA from Gaiman’s “bookkeeper”, and a wire for rent deposit. Gaiman had told Scarlett that he would cover her rent [presumably at the Waiheke house, though it is not made explicit in the podcast] for six months so she could “get back on her feet”. 

Scarlett tells the podcast that to get the rent money she had to sign the NDA.

The NDA is backdated to February 4 2022, the first day they met. Gaiman’s PA tells her it’s standard procedure. Scarlett doesn’t read it before signing, saying it’s because she doesn’t understand “legal stuff”, but she does ask why she has to sign it given she’s not working for them anymore and she never had a contract anyway. 

May 25, 2022

Scarlett signs the NDA.

The podcast reports that Gaiman’s position is that NDAs are standard procedure for famous people. He does not answer the podcast’s questions about whether Scarlett couldn’t have the rent money without first signing the NDA, or why it was backdated. 

August 16, 2022

Scarlett messages the former employee again and says she wants to report Gaiman to the police but feels powerless and scared. She also says that there is evidence that she wrote to Gaiman’s therapist to say it was consensual when “of course it wasn’t fucking consensual”.

The former employee replies and advises Scarlett not to contact anyone until she has visited a rape crisis centre or gone to the police. She adds “unsure if you signed an NDA” with a sad face emoji. 

October 21, 2022

Scarlett emails the New Zealand police saying she wants to report a sexual assault that happened to her. She says “he is an extremely high profile individual and possesses a great deal of financial and celebrity power”. 

She exchanges email messages with the police. 

December 28, 2022

Scarlett asks Gaiman for help to cover rent for January because the only work she can find are pre-Christmas shifts for a cafe and shops are now closed for the holidays.

Gaiman asks how much she needs. Scarlett tells him the amount, then in her last ever message to him, asks how he is feeling and if he is looking forward to returning to New Zealand. 

Gaiman replies that he is. 

January 2023

Scarlett is formally interviewed by the police in Auckland. The interview runs over three days. Scarlett hands in her phone, including all of her messages with Gaiman, to the police, and her NDA. 

January 20 2023

Scarlett receives a final, unprompted message from Gaiman. It reads “… are you okay?”

Scarlett doesn’t reply and has had no direct contact since. She tells the podcast she felt like a fraud taking his money while at the same time reporting him to the police. 

Scarlett says she doesn’t hear anything from the police for a year. 

Summer 2023

Scarlett meets Zelda Perkins thanks to a mutual friend. Perkins is a campaigner against the abuse of NDAs and was critical in the case against Harvey Weinstein. 

Perkins tells the podcast that to her it was clear that Scarlett was still traumatised by what had happened to her and that she had to report it to the police, despite the NDA. Perkins explains the NDAs can’t be used to protect abusers. (Scarlett had already filed her report to the police, despite her NDA fears.) 

March 2024

Scarlett gets an update from the police. They say there is insufficient evidence to bring a prosecution and that the question marks they have will only get bigger in court. They say her case wouldn’t stand up in court and that she would likely be worse off. 

The remaining episodes of Master: further allegations

The above timeline summarises the key facts in episodes one and two of Master. Episodes three and four explore allegations against Gaiman by another woman, K*, who was 18 when she first met Gaiman in a signing queue (she was a fan).

Episode five covers Caroline’s story: a 63-year-old woman who contacted the podcast after hearing Scarlett and K’s stories. Caroline and K’s accounts have some similarities to Scarlett’s, including NDAs and allegations of non-consensual sexual acts. 

Gaiman denies any unlawful behaviour against Caroline and K. 

What’s happening now?

Slow Newscast says that it commits to seeing a story through so we might expect more episodes with further investigations. In the podcast, the hosts read a statement from the New Zealand police that says while there is insufficient evidence to proceed with charges, they will continue to consider further lines of inquiry and are open to reassessing the matter if more information comes to light; they encourage anyone with information that may assist to contact them.

The full series of Master is online at Tortoise and can be accessed wherever you get your podcasts.