Author Neil Gaiman sued in civil court for alleged sexual assault and human trafficking

A New Zealand woman has alleged famous author Neil Gaiman “violently raped” her repeatedly when she worked as his live-in nanny.

Warning: This article discusses sexual assault which might be triggering for some readers.

A best-selling author has been sued for sexual assault by his former New Zealand live-in nanny just weeks after multiple women came out to accuse him of rape.

Neil Gaiman, famous for his fantasy series that birthed several hit TV shows, has been accused of “violently raping” his family’s former nanny in a bombshell new claim.

The lawsuits, filed on Monday local time in Wisconsin federal court, brings claims for sexual assault, battery and human trafficking.

New Zealand woman Scarlett Pavlovich has alleged that Gaiman coerced her into forced sexual encounters with him as a condition of her employment by the family.

Gaiman has denied all allegations against him.

The 64-year-old responded to the shock claims back in January by saying he has “never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever”.

Neil Gaiman has been accused of rape in bombshell new allegations. Picture: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

However, it is alleged that the writer has a “decades-long history of sexual misconduct” as alleged by several women, many of whom have signed nondisclosure agreements, the complaint says.

Pavlovich alleges that she was homeless and living on a beach when she met Gaiman’s wife, Amanda Palmer in Auckland, New Zealand, back in 2020. She was 22 years old at the time.

She reportedly soon began running errands for the couple, babysitting their son and helping with chores, but the lawsuit stated that she was “generally not paid for these tasks”.

She was first asked to babysit in February 2022 and Gaiman allegedly sexually assaulted her the night they met, according to the lawsuits that also said the couple were separated at the time.

This night is when the lawsuit claims Gaiman allegedly penetrated Pavlovich anally with his fingers and then attempted to do so with his penis, according to Rolling Stone.

In another incident, the suit alleges Gaiman anally raped her “while smearing her with truffle oil,” despite her “screaming ‘I can’t’ and ‘no’ at the start of the encounter.”

He has denied all allegations against him. Picture: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

While the assaults continued, she kept working for the couple because she was “broke and homeless”, the lawsuit claims, and Gaiman told her he would help her writing career.

The lawsuit alleges that Gaiman’s wife Palmer knew of his sexual desires and presented Pavlovich to him knowing he would assault her.

Pavlovich alleges the couple violated federal human trafficking prohibitions and is seeking at least $7 million in damages.

She publicly identified herself earlier this year in an interview with New York Magazine, which detailed eight women’s allegations of assault, abuse and coercion against Gaiman.

After it was published, Gaiman released a statement denying he had ever engaged in non-consensual sex.

Back in January, eight women came forward with accusations against him.

The popular English writer is known for The Sandman, American Gods and the children’s book Coraline as well as co-writing Good Omens alongside Terry Pratchett in 1990

The show went on to become a hit BBC and Amazon TV series with Gaiman acting as the writer and executive producer.

Eight women have made accusations against him. Picture: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Writers Guild of America East)

But after a bombshell report released in New York Magazine detailed a number of shock claims against the Brit which span back to 1986 production on the third season of the show was axed.

One allegation included a woman who accused Gaiman of raping her in a bathtub outside.

In a blog post, the popular author said he had read the allegations and felt “horror and dismay”.

He wrote: “I’ve stayed quiet until now, both out of respect for the people who were sharing their stories and out of a desire not to draw even more attention to a lot of misinformation.

“I’ve always tried to be a private person, and felt increasingly that social media was the wrong place to talk about important personal matters.

“I’ve now reached the point where I feel that I should say something.

“As I read through this latest collection of accounts, there are moments I half-recognise and moments I don’t, descriptions of things that happened sitting beside things that emphatically did not happen.

“I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.”

Neil Gaiman pictured with his wife Amanda Palmer. Picture: Jeff Spicer/Getty Images

Gaiman said he had read back text messages from the time of one of the assaults and felt they were “of two people enjoying entirely consensual sexual relationship”.

He added that he “could have and should have done so much better” and realised he hadn’t been as “thoughtful” as he would have liked looking back.

He continued: “I was obviously careless with people’s hearts and feelings, and that’s something that I really, deeply regret.

“It was selfish of me. I was caught up in my own story and I ignored other people’s.

“Like most of us, I’m learning, and I’m trying to do the work needed, and I know that that’s not an overnight process.”

The author said he understood that “not everyone will believe me”.

Gaiman vehemently denies several of the allegations claiming they “simply never happened”.

Others had been “distorted” from reality, he added.

Gaiman did not go into detail into which accusations he was referring to.

The New York Magazine report released on Monday detailed the allegations which ranged from rape to hitting one accuser with a belt.

The accusations have come from a former live-in nanny. Picture: Supplied

All eight of the accusers said they had been willing to engage with many of Gaiman’s requests - one of which often included calling him “master”, according to the report.

But the women allege that during some acts they had removed their consent before or during.

Some also said they had not discussed or agreed on the acts and scenarios Gaiman wanted before they happened, claims the report.

Several of these allegations were first revealed on the Tortoise podcast which is hosted by journalist and broadcaster Rachel Johnson.

Gaiman’s representatives had previously told Tortoise Media that “sexual degradation, bondage, domination, sadism and masochism may not be to everyone’s taste, but between consenting adults, BDSM is lawful”.

A police report accusing Gaiman of sexual assault was made in January 2023, but the investigation was eventually dropped.

-With The Sun

Originally published as Author Neil Gaiman sued in civil court for alleged sexual assault and human trafficking