Who was Neil Gaiman married to? Amanda Palmer's "open marriage" explored in wake of recent assault allegations

British author Neil Gaiman, known for books like The Sandman and Stardust, was recently accused of sexual misconduct by two women in New Zealand. The allegations came to light during Tortoise Media's podcast on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

The four-part podcast series titled Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman, investigated the claims made by the two women.

One of the women claimed that Gaiman assaulted her in 2022 in New Zealand, while the other alleged assault took place in 2005 in Florida. The 63-year-old author has denied all the accusations, but he did admit to being in relationships with both women. He also claimed that both accounts of the sexual encounters were consensual.

Neil Gaiman was married to American singer, songwriter, and musician Amanda Palmer from January 2011 to November 2022. The two have a son together, who was born in 2015.

Neil Gaiman has been accused of s*xual misconduct. (Image via X/ DiscussingFilm)

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Exploring Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer’s former marital relationship

Neil Gaiman met Amanda Palmer in 2009 and they began dating the same year. Two years later, they got married but decided to have an "open marriage." They welcomed their only child, son Anthony “Ash” Palmer, in 2015.

When Ash was four years old, Neil and Amanda reportedly "shut down" their open marriage for some time to focus on parenthood. Around that time, Amanda told a publication how, in the past, she and Gaiman had “shattered one another’s hearts occasionally through bad choices." However, she added that their "relationship stands it.”

In 2019, Palmer, a member of the Dresden Dolls, said in another interview that the "idea of only ever fooling around with one person till the end of time" terrified her. She added that she believed it was the same for her now ex-husband.

“There are lots of varieties of open relationships… We’re not interested in having big, multiple relationships; we’re just sl*tty, but compassionately so,” Palmer stated.

Eleven years after they got married, the couple decided to split. They announced their “difficult decision” to divorce in November 2022 via a joint statement published on their respective social media handles and websites. However, the exact reason behind their divorce remained undisclosed.

“While we will no longer be partners in marriage, we will remain in one another’s lives as co-parents committed to raising our wonderful son in a loving and compassionate environment,” they stated back then.

Reports of their rift first emerged in 2020, when Neil Gaiman allegedly left behind Palmer and their son in New Zealand amid the COVID-19 lockdown. The author reportedly moved back to his home on the Isle of Skye in the UK.

Back then, he said that he and Amanda were in a rough place and admitted it was his fault as he “hurt her feelings very badly.” The Good Omens author added that they mutually agreed to give each other some space.

In August 2023, Amanda Palmer sat with WBUR and got candid about her divorce from Neil Gaiman. She said that it was a "slow and painful divorce season."

“It’s been a slow and painful divorce season up here in the woods… One of the most difficult things about this time in my life is not telling the story and being more of a mystery than people are used to,” the 48-year-old said.

The musician also mentioned how having a child and circumnavigating the globe 20 times made her look at things differently now. She noted that it was especially so when it came to heartbreaks and said she was trying to "synthesize pain into art," with her songwriting while ensuring that she didn't damage her son's psyche.

The Theater is Evil songstress added that she has been through many heartbreaking relationships, including but not limited to Neil. She added that their dual celebrity status may have caused challenges in their marriage, even though she and the writer had a “lot in common.”

“I’m sure my personal experiences are going to do a continual dance with the experiences of my community and worm their way into the music… It can no longer be just about me," the singer said.

She added:

"I know too much; I’ve heard too many horror stories from too many women and [I want to] put them in the blender along with my own... Next to a lot of the stories I’ve heard, mine had been a cakewalk.” Who Killed Amanda Palmer hitmaker noted.

Amanda Palmer was Neil Gaiman’s second wife, as he was previously married to Mary McGrath from 1985 until their divorce in 2008. They share three children.

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It is worth noting that since the allegations were made public, Neil Gaiman has constantly denied them.