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Books|Lawsuit Accuses Neil Gaiman of Sexual Assault Facilitated by His Wife
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/04/books/neil-gaiman-lawsuit-sexual-abuse.html
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Scarlett Pavlovich, who accused Mr. Gaiman of rape and assault in a report last month, said in the suit that his wife had played a role in “procuring and presenting” her.
Feb. 4, 2025, 10:36 a.m. ET
A New Zealand woman filed a lawsuit on Monday against Neil Gaiman, the best-selling British author, and Amanda Palmer, his estranged wife, accusing Mr. Gaiman of repeated sexual abuse and Ms. Palmer of “procuring and presenting” the victim and intending to leave her “trapped, vulnerable and penniless.”
Scarlett Pavlovich, who is from New Zealand but now lives in Scotland, claims in the suit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, New York and Wisconsin, that Mr. Gaiman raped and assaulted her repeatedly while she was working as a nanny and babysitting the couple’s son.
As a result, Ms. Pavlovich “suffered severe emotional distress, physical injuries and economic losses,” the lawsuit said. She also claimed she was not paid adequately for her work for the couple.
Many disturbing details of the allegations against Mr. Gaiman came to light in an explosive New York Magazine article last month, as well as in a podcast last summer, in which Ms. Pavlovich identified herself as an accuser of Mr. Gaiman’s. Four other women had spoken out about Mr. Gaiman’s abuse in a podcast last summer.
Mr. Gaiman denied the allegations in a statement last month, saying: “I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” Representatives for Mr. Gaiman and Ms. Palmer did not respond to requests for comment on Tuesday.
Ms. Pavlovich first met Ms. Palmer in New Zealand in 2020, when Ms. Pavlovich was 22 years old and homeless, often sleeping on the beach, according to the lawsuit. After Ms. Pavlovich and Ms. Palmer became acquaintances, Ms. Pavlovich started running errands for Ms. Palmer and Mr. Gaiman, sometimes babysitting their son.
