A woman from New Zealand has filed a civil lawsuit against bestselling author Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, musician Amanda Palmer, accusing Gaiman of repeatedly sexually assaulting her while she worked as the couple’s babysitter and nanny. The lawsuit, filed in multiple federal courts, alleges that Gaiman raped, coerced, and trafficked Pavlovich, a 22-year-old woman who was homeless at the time.
According to the lawsuit, Palmer invited Pavlovich to their home on Waiheke Island in 2020, where Pavlovich began working as a nanny. The assaults allegedly began soon after they met in February 2022. Pavlovich claims that she told Palmer about the abuse, but Palmer allegedly presented her to Gaiman again, knowing he would assault her.
Gaiman has denied all allegations of sexual assault, stating that his relationships with women were “entirely consensual.” However, Pavlovich alleges that Palmer knew of Gaiman’s desires and presented her for abuse. The lawsuit seeks at least $7m in damages from both Gaiman and Palmer.
The allegations against Gaiman have led to several book deals being cancelled or put on hold, including a production of his novel Coraline and an adaptation of The Sandman at Disney. Netflix has also paused its release of a second season based on The Sandman due to the ongoing controversy surrounding Gaiman’s character.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2025/feb/04/neil-gaiman-accuser-files-civil-lawsuit-rape-sexual-assault-allegations-ntwnfb