Neil Gaiman Accused Of Sexual Assault Pt II

[hihelenhi]

As we're nearly at the end of the first thread, let's make sure we keep the topic current.

There have been five women now who have spoken to podcasts about the predatory behaviour of Neil Gaiman.

First thread here:

www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5112128-neil-gaiman-accused-of-sexual-assault

VictorianBigot 💐💐 Sending you unmumsnetty hugs.

@VictorianBigot that must be so hard. I hope the EMDR helps💐

I was also massively triggered by the first four episodes. I hope the EMDR helps.

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I'm so sorry you went through cruelty and abuse and sorry too that it's being triggered now💐

Listened to the latest episode,my main takes are:

1. NG is a disgusting twat and a horrible excuse for a human being
2. More questions about AP's role in this. Was she complicit? Apparently they aren't divorced.

It's just upsetting. I don't understand why the media was all over the Russell Brand story but won't touch this.

I'm really sorry you're suffering @VictorianBigot.
I hope your session has been able to help you.
I really appreciate the summaries people have given on this and the former thread, because I'm not ready to listen to the podcasts yet (and may decide never to).

Russell Brand was a former lefty/woke who switched sides. He was making his own stuff and had few mainstream connections when the allegations aired.

NG is a current woke, and has plenty of mainstream connections. He's a cash cow for Netflix etc.

It's interesting what the Am I Broken podcast left out. There were further details in Tortoise ep 6. It's like AP and NG get kicks from setting challenges for each other. AP was the initial contact for Scarlett and Claire. Yet the things I've read give an underlying impression that she's utterly disgusted by him - her recent song lyrics and the interview in WBUR. She talks about what women have been through and how hers is minimal in comparison. People around him must be well aware of his behaviour and some must enable it. His style of writing is not my thing so I knew nothing about him. The hypocrisy of his actions and how he frames himself is shocking - soft spoken, caring, what a master manipulator. The wokescreen is a perfect description.

I doubt very much he'll ever be tried for these assaults. But if it makes young women more aware of the risks and takes away his ability to self promote and engage which must be killing his ego.

I think that's really important. There were longstanding rumours about RB, and based on (a) his sheer body count and (b) the fact that he was off his head on substances, it was never likely that he was very scrupulous about consent.

But at the time of his worst behaviour he was being celebrated and enabled for it, and I can't help thinking the political side - all the right opinions, the Guardian columns, chumming about with Owen Jones - played a big part in shielding him. It's only when he was unfashionable and out of the mainstream that he became a tempting target. Even if he's now sober and married, he's lost his protection and his history is fair game.

I think there's something similar with NG. He's always been active on social media, but for a long time he just used it to promote his books. Then there was a time when he started being very outspoken on woke causes and making sure everyone saw him white knighting for vulnerable women... and when a prominent man does that, I'm afraid my cynicism kicks in.

But at the time of his worst behaviour he was being celebrated and enabled for it, and I can't help thinking the political side - all the right opinions, the Guardian columns, chumming about with Owen Jones - played a big part in shielding him. It's only when he was unfashionable and out of the mainstream that he became a tempting target. Even if he's now sober and married, he's lost his protection and his history is fair game.

That's true. Just think about how chummy little OJ was with him, even when his sexually predatory behaviour was easily observable. Remember too how quickly OJ sprang to Huw Edwards's defence when the initial story about his inappropriate behaviour emerged. OJ's first instinct (as with many others on the left) was to attack the Sun for exposing Edwards.

Men like this have no interest in supporting victims. They will side with predatory men as long as it's politically expedient to do so.

Men like this have no interest in supporting victims. They will side with predatory men as long as it's politically expedient to do so.

Sometimes I think I'd have more respect for little OJ if he was a consistent Andrew Tate style misogynist who openly gave priority to men's boners. Instead he'll pose as a champion of victims, but only when it's a man who's unfashionable in his circle. But his first instinct is what's revealing.

OJ has been around left wing politics long enough to know that activist circles are full of dodgy men using politics as a shield. He and I mutually know some of those dodgy men. He doesn't care. He's really just one of those gay men who can never quite see women as people.

Thank you for the kind messages, and I'm so sorry it's been triggering for others too. I was able to have the good cry I needed at my session today.

Re RB. I remember my increasingly lefty/woke (now former) close friend singing his praises along with her admiration for Owen Jones. I realised it didn't matter how much of a dickhead a man was, how misogynistic, how abusive, how predatory, how perverted, how disingenuous; as long as they had RightThink they were admirable and a great bunch of lads in her book.

God that's disgusting. I'm against burning books, but might make an exception in this case.

I won't link to it here but on the neilgaiman uncovered Reddit thread there's a new post which is of a thread where NG has apparently got some female flying monkeys to send out private messages from Claire (of the last podcast) at the time of her involvement with him to friends of theirs to "prove" that she's lying and trying to persuade them not to believe the allegations.

As pointed out, he doesn't appear to have strayed far from his Scientology roots. Revolting, manipulative man.

I saw that post. Revolting behaviour from his (and his monkeys).

Hugs 💐

I've had a lot of success with EMDR for my cPTSD, I really hope it's helping you. Xx

Thank you @notathenabutcassandra, I'm so glad you've found it helpful.

Like a fool I ended up fast forwarding and listening to episode 6 because I was curious about the phone recordings and the flying monkeys. After all his hollow little apologies and rape crisis donation wokescreenery, he tried to DARVO and gaslight her. And now he's released the monkeys. Revolting indeed.

The "I'm such a nice sweet nervous egalitarian writerly guy" act, actually hearing it, makes me vom, when you know what he does. I can see why he's convincing (lots of men in his milieu are similar) but that it's so studied and planned is utterly foul.

www.thebookseller.com/news/neil-gaiman-accused-of-sexual-assault-by-fifth-woman

Interesting that they are bucking the trend and openly reporting on it... As his industry...

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The kicker in that Bookseller piece is all the publishers and bodies they contacted for comment, who are keeping silent on NG.

Presumably the publishers are figuring out the economics of the situation, since he's still got a profitable backlist. But it'll be interesting to see whether he gets any new commissions. At this point it's looking like the end of his writing career, though 40 years is a good run.

The Society of Authors, though... I wonder if the departure of Joanne Harris as chair will mean they're a bit more professional and mindful of their reputation going forward.

The neil gaiman uncovered reddit seems to have gone. Funny, that.

No, the whole of Reddit is down. I did wonder!

Reddit’s back up and running for me now.