Neil Gaiman, a bestselling fantasy author, has been sued by a former live-in nanny who claims he raped her multiple times while she worked for his family. Scarlett Pavlovich alleges that Gaiman coerced her into forced sexual encounters as a condition of her employment, and that he had a “decades-long history” of similar behavior towards several women.
The lawsuit was filed in Wisconsin federal court on Monday and centers around allegations of human trafficking and battery. Pavlovich claims that she was not paid for her work, but had no choice to stay because she had nowhere else to go. She says that Gaiman and his wife Amanda Palmer intended to keep her trapped and vulnerable.
The lawsuit also reveals that Palmer was aware of Gaiman’s alleged sexual misconduct as early as 2015 and has been accused of refusing to cooperate with law enforcement after Pavlovich filed a police report accusing Gaiman of assault. The case comes after Dark Horse Comics announced last month that it would no longer publish adaptations of Gaiman’s works due to his alleged history of sex crimes.
Gaiman maintains that the allegations are false and that some of the stories told about him “never happened” while others have been distorted from reality. However, Pavlovich alleges that she lost consciousness due to severe pain after being anally raped by Gaiman, and was later denied re-entry into their home despite her claims.
The case has sparked concerns about Gaiman’s reputation and his ability to continue working on future projects. Upcoming adaptations of his works include The Sandman season two at Netflix, Anansi Boys at Amazon, and Good Omens at Amazon.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/neil-gaiman-sued-sexual-assault-human-trafficking-former-nanny-1236126567