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Neil Gaiman, who authored The Sandman, Good Omens, Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, Anansi Boys, The Graveyard Book, and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and his wife Amanda Palmer are being sued by their former nanny for alleged r*pe, assault and s*x trafficking.
According to The Guardian's report, Scarlett Pavlovich, a former nanny from New Zealand, filed the lawsuit in federal court in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New York on February 3, 2025.
Per the media outlet's report on February 4, Pavlovich is seeking $7 million in damages. She accused Gaiman of allegedly coercing, r*ping her, along with accusations of human trafficking. She accused Amanda Palmer of knowing about her husband's alleged history of s*xual misconduct and still sending her to him.
Palmer and Gaiman married in 2011. They have a five-year-old son and are currently undergoing divorce proceedings.
More details on the accusations against Neil Gaiman
According to The Guardian's report, Scarlett Pavlovich reached out to Rachel Johnson, the podcast host of Tortoise Media. Johnson then created a seven-episodes-long podcast called Master with reporter Paul Caruana Galizia, combining all the allegations against Gaiman. The podcast got thousands of views and media attention.
As per Vulture, after the release of the podcast, many women came forward and accused the author of alleged r*pe and s*xual harassment over the years. Including Caroline Wallner, Gaiman's Woodstock property's caretaker, and Kendra Stout, who was 18 when Gaiman allegedly r*ped her.
On January 14, 2025, Neil Gaiman released his statement on his website where he denied the accusations, claiming some allegations were distorted and some "never happened." He wrote,
"Some of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality. I am prepared to take responsibility for any missteps I made."
He continued,
"I’m not willing to turn my back on the truth, and I can't accept being described as someone I am not, and cannot, and will not admit to doing things I didn't do."
On January 15, 2025, Amanda Palmer posted on Instagram that she needed privacy because she was in the middle of custody and divorce proceedings and could not comment on the allegations. She wrote,
"As there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings, I am not able to offer public comment. Please understand that I am, first and foremost, a parent. I ask for privacy at this time."
The allegations have seemingly affected Neil Gaiman's work. After the podcast was released, multiple projects by the author were put on hold. However, the streaming services did not comment on the matter.
The Guardian reports that Netflix’s Dead Boy Detectives, which is based on characters created by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, have been canceled. Amazon series Good Omens', based on Gaiman's 1990 novel of the same name, third season production has also been halted. Disney's film adaptation of the novel The Graveyard Book has been put on hold as well.
One of Neil Gaiman’s publishers, Dark Horse Comics, tweeted on January 25 that it has decided to cancel the illustrated series based on the author's novel Anansi Boys due to the allegations against the author.
