<p id=”par-1_35″>Fantasy <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/tag/books/?swcfpc=1″>author</a> Neil Gaiman and <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/amanda-palmer-said-1-classic-rock-band-didnt-write-real-songs.html/”>his estranged wife</a> have been sued for rape and human trafficking. The couple’s former nanny, Scarlett Pavlovich, filed suit on Monday. She is seeking damages in excess of $1 million. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-neil-gaiman-and-amanda-palmer-s-former-nanny-files-lawsuit”>Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer’s former nanny files lawsuit </h2>
<figure class=”wp-block-image size-full” id=”emb-1″><img decoding=”async” src=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/AmandaPalmerNeilGaiman.webp?strip=all&quality=80″ alt=”Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman (holding their son) at the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island” class=”wp-image-3771783″><figcaption class=”wp-element-caption”>Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman attend the 2018 Coney Island Mermaid Parade in 2018 | Taylor Hill/Getty Images</figcaption></figure>
<div class=”related-article related-article–simple”>
<span class=”related-article-flag”>Related</span>
<p class=”related-article__title”>
<a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/the-sandman-season-1-finale-sets-season-2.html/”>
‘The Sandman’: How the Season 1 Finale Sets Up Season 2 </a>
</p>
</div>
<p id=”par-2_71″>Pavlovich has accused Gaiman of repeatedly raping her while she was employed by him and Palmer to care for their young son, <a href=”https://www.reuters.com/legal/author-neil-gaiman-estranged-wife-sued-sexual-assault-2025-02-04/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Reuters</a> reports. According to her court filing, Pavlovich first met Palmer in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2020. In 2022, <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/amanda-palmer-said-1-album-the-beatles-sgt-pepper-generation.html/”>The Dresden Dolls</a> frontwoman hired Pavlovich as a babysitter. Pavlovich’s suit accuses Palmer of “procuring and presenting” her to Gaiman for “sexual abuse,” according to court documents obtained by <a href=”https://deadline.com/2025/02/neil-gaiman-rape-lawsuits-amanda-palmer-filings-1236277339/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Deadline</a>.</p>
<p id=”par-3_38″>Palmer did not respond to Reuters request for comment about the lawsuit. However, she did make a brief statement after <a href=”https://www.vulture.com/article/neil-gaiman-allegations-controversy-amanda-palmer-sandman-madoc.html” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Vulture</a> published a lengthy report where Pavlovich and other accusers shared disturbing details about their relationships with Gaiman. </p>
<p id=”par-4_41″>“As there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings, I am not able to offer public comment,” she wrote in the Jan. 15 <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DE2pJpBxfaN/?hl=en” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Instagram</a> post. “Please understand that I am first and foremost a parent. I ask for privacy at this time.” </p>
<p id=”par-5_28″>Palmer and Gaiman married in 2011. They have one son, born in 2014. (Gaiman has three children from his previous marriage.) They announced their divorce in November 2022. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-the-dresden-dolls-singer-thanks-supportive-people-in-instagram-post”>‘The Dresden Dolls’ singer thanks ‘supportive people’ in Instagram post </h2>
<p id=”par-6_59″>Palmer has not spoken publicly about the allegations against her and her ex. But she has remained active on social media amid the controversy. A few days before Pavlovich filed her lawsuit, <em>The Art of Asking </em>author posted on <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/p/DFgVImRRrkk/?hl=en&img_index=1″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Instagram</a> about being honored at NAMM’s 2025 She Rocks Awards along with <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/paula-cole-revealed-dawsons-creek-theme-song-inspired-bad-marriage.html/”>“I Don’t Want to Wait” singer Paula Cole</a>.</p>
<p id=”par-7_41″>“This is what sisterhood looks like. And that crinkly face…yes, that’s me about to cry,” Palmer captioned a photo of herself and Cole. “This moment, I will…never forget. I will never forget what I was going through, and what she said.”</p>
<p id=”par-8_61″>“[T]he love is real, this is what it looks like, and that my gratitude for the supportive people – especially the women – around me is fathoms deeper than I’ve ever felt anything before. It just keeps getting deeper … What a ride. To everyone on earth: may you feel safe. May you feel seen. May you feel held,” she continued. </p>
<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-neil-gaiman-denies-allegations-of-sexual-misconduct”>Neil Gaiman denies allegations of sexual misconduct </h2>
<p id=”par-9_74″>Allegations of sexual misconduct against Gaiman surfaced in the summer of 2024 in a podcast by Tortoise Media, <em>Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman</em>. Pavlovich was one of several women who said they’d had unwanted sexual content with the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/american-gods-interview-ashley-reyes-dishes-on-cordelia-and-wednesday.html/”><em>American Gods</em></a><em> </em>author. She elaborated on her experiences with Gaiman in Vulture’s report, which included her claim that he forced her to have sex with him while his young son was in the same room.</p>
<p id=”par-10_50″>Gaiman has denied the allegations against him. In a statement posted to his <a href=”https://journal.neilgaiman.com/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>website</a> on Jan. 14, he said he was “prepared to take responsibility for any missteps” but insisted that he had “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.” No criminal charges against Gaiman have been filed. </p>
<p id=”par-11_34″><strong><em>How to get help</em></strong><em>: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area. </em> </p>
<p id=”par-12_16″><em>For more on the entertainment world and exclusive interviews, subscribe to </em><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWmTM34h0-P7FcCwuA6h6sw/videos” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”><em>Showbiz Cheat Sheet’s YouTube channel</em></a><em>.</em></p>