Neil Gaiman finally utters the 'S' word

Cult author Neil Gaiman breaks the silence on his family's connection to the Church of Scientology in the UK.

7 July 2010, 12:00am
by Teodor Reljic

2 min read

The mythical kaleidoscopes found in Neil Gaiman's works may very well have a precedent in the author's own tumultuous upbringing, as the cult favourite author of Amerian Gods and Coraline, evasive on the topic for years, has finally spoken - albeit briefly - about his family's involvement in the Church of Scientology in an interview with the BBC's David Sillito.

Gaiman, 49, was born in Hampshire, England to Jewish parents who, after the family moved to East Grinstead in West Sussex, also became involved in the Church of Scientology, the controversial cult founded by American science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard, which has also subsumed members of the Hollywood elite such as Tom Cruise and John Travolta. It is still not clear as to why Gaiman chose to keep this part of his biography under wraps, particularly because his father, David Bernard Gaiman, served as public relations officer for the Church's UK arm and was often in the media spotlight during the 60s and 70s as a result. Gaiman's sister commented on their unconventional upbringing when interviewed for an article for the New Yorker: "It would get very confusing when people would ask my religion as a kid. I’d say, 'I’m a Jewish Scientologist'."

Gaiman became an instant cult figure with The Sandman comic book series - a sprawling narrative centered on Morpheus, the embodiment of dreams and stories, which ran from 1988 to 1996. He has enjoyed considerable success since then, his works spanning across short fiction and novels, as well as film: he co-wrote the Robert Zemeckis-directed Beowulf with Roger Avary, and oversaw the productions of his novels Stardust and Coraline. He has also written an episode for the beloved British science fiction show Dr Who, titled The House of Nothing and set to air next year.

See the BBC interview here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment_and_arts/10502324.stm

Read The New Yorker's comprehensive profile of the author: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/01/25/100125fa_fact_goodyear

Teodor Reljić was born in Belgrade, Serbia and raised in Malta. He writes fiction across ...

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Neil Gaiman is underwriting Scientology. The Scientologists list Neil Gaiman in the Cornerstone Newsletter along with Mary Gaiman, as contributing $35,000.00 in 2009. Being listed in the Cornerstone Newsletter means you are in good-standing with the cult. In 2010, Mary Gaiman was awarded the "Gold Humanitarian Award" for her contribution of $500,000.00 to Scientology. This is significant because Mary Gaiman continues to be Neil Gaiman’s business partner in The Blank Corporation, which is now Neil Gaiman's Scientology front and how he pays the cult. Gaiman is also the "Vitamin Heir" of Scientology. The Gaiman family owns G&G Vitamins which reaps 6 million a year from selling The Purification Rundown Vitamins. Gaiman's two sisters, Claire Edwards and Lizzie Calciole are not just high-ranking Scientologists, they are the head of RECRUITING and the head of Wealden House, the Scientology stronghold in East Grinstead. These two cannot associate with Neil unless he is in good standing.