Photo of Gaiman and Palmer courtesy of Manfred Werner.
Content warning: discussions of sexual assault, rape, and human trafficking. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
Scarlett Pavlovich, the former nanny of Neil Gaiman and his ex-partner Amanda Palmer, has filed a lawsuit against the pair, suing them for allegedly trafficking her, in addition to her previous accusations of sexual misconduct. The case, which was filed in Gaiman’s American residence in Wisconsin, and Palmer’s known residences in New York and Massachusetts, brings a total of nine charges against the two:
#1-4: Four charges of human trafficking or conspiring to commit it, by both defendants
#5: Sexual assault by Gaiman
#6: Battery by Gaiman
#7: Intentional infliction of emotional distress by Gaiman
#8: Negligence from Palmer
#9: Negligent infliction of extreme emotional distress by Gaiman
Pavlovich’s lawyers believe she is entitled to damages “in excess” of $1 million for each of the charges, except for the sixth and seventh, which would leave her “entitled to damages in an amount to be determined at trial.” Their arguments can be read in the full PDF document, which describes Pavlovich as having been, “in effect, an economic hostage to Palmer and Gaiman,” while working unpaid for them as he allegedly assaulted her, and accuse them of “intentionally [withholding]” her salary.
Based on the allegations about his previous relationships, they characterize him as understanding that she “did not consent to sexual activity,” while describing Palmer as “knowingly approached and procured [our emphasis, not theirs] the services of Scarlett with reckless disregard for the fact that Gaiman would force Scarlett to engage in commercial sex acts with him.” They also claim Palmer’s refusal to cooperate with the authorities in New Zealand, when Pavlovich filed her complaint against Gaiman at the start of 2023, caused the collapse of that investigation.
Since Pavlovich went public with her allegations about Gaiman last year, Palmer has avoided commenting on the subject, while Gaiman broke his silence following a New York magazine story last month. He claims that while he “was obviously careless with people’s hearts and feelings,” he did not “accept there was any abuse. To repeat, I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. 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.” The pair had no statement about the lawsuit at the time of writing.
Since the allegations broke, Dark Horse Comics and the Good Omens Kickstarter project have severed ties with Gaiman, while Marvel told The New York Times it has no projects with him in the works, indirectly canceling Miracleman: The Dark Age. DC have yet to comment, but the publisher has canceled an upcoming rerelease of The Sandman #8, while the allegations presumably prompted Netflix to disclose the live-action series would end with its second season. He has also been let go by one of his agents, Casarotto Ramsay & Associates, who represented him in the UK film, TV, and theater industry.
And with this lawsuit, Gaiman stands to lose a lot more – even if it doesn’t go to trial.
