Final Season of Good Omens Halts Production After Neil Gaiman Sexual Assault Accusations

Production on Good Omens has been halted amid numerous allegations of sexual impropriety against series co-creator Neil Gaiman. Gaiman, who also wrote The Sandman and Coraline, has been facing allegations since July, when a podcast from Tortoise Media debuted and featured allegations from two women. At this point there are at least five total accusers, including one who claims she had signed a non-disclosure agreement with Gaiman. One of the two initial accusers, who says she worked as a nanny in Gaiman’s home in New Zealand, had reported the incident to police. The matter remains under investigation, with early reports suggesting that the police had struggled to contact the woman.

Trade publications Deadline and Variety both reported on the news, but Amazon declined to comment. Variety reported that Amazon is “considering changes,” which likely means they are trying to find a way to minimize Gaiman’s involvement and their potential exposure to legal fallout or bad press.

On July 3rd, a report from the UK-based Tortoise Media published a four-part podcast series that revealed claims of sexual assault from two different women. One of the women claims she was 18 when assaulted by Gaiman in 2003, while the other said she was 25 at the time of her incidents with the author in 2022. Both women claimed to be in consensual relationships with Gaiman, but said they were subject to non-consensual acts from him.

Last week, Disney paused development on their adaptation of Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. Marc Forster, the director behind A Man Called Otto, Christopher Robin, and World War Z, had been set to direct the movie.

Good Omens, based on the novel by Gaiman and the late Terry Pratchett, centers on an angel and a demon who conspire together to prevent the apocalypse, because both prefer to spend their time on Earth. Played by Michael Sheen and David Tennant, the characters became instant internet faves, and the series proved so popular that Amazon wanted more. 

The original premise had been to adapt the book and then end the show, but Gaiman was able to extend it by adaptation from ideas he and Pratchett had kicked around but ultimately not used. A second season was nearly as popular as the first, but with so little source material to lean on, Gaiman and Prime had planned for its upcoming third season to be its last.