A New Zealand girl filed a lawsuit on Monday towards Neil Gaiman, the best-selling British creator, and Amanda Palmer, his estranged spouse, accusing Mr. Gaiman of repeated sexual abuse and Ms. Palmer of “procuring and presenting” the sufferer and intending to go away her “trapped, susceptible and penniless.”
Scarlett Pavlovich, who’s from New Zealand however now lives in Scotland, claims within the go well with, filed in federal courtroom in Massachusetts, New York and Wisconsin, that Mr. Gaiman raped and assaulted her repeatedly whereas she was working as a nanny and babysitting the couple’s son.
Consequently, Ms. Pavlovich “suffered extreme emotional misery, bodily accidents and financial losses,” the lawsuit stated. She additionally claimed she was not paid adequately for her work for the couple.
Many disturbing particulars of the allegations towards Mr. Gaiman got here to mild in an explosive New York magazine article final month, in addition to in a podcast last summer, wherein Ms. Pavlovich recognized herself as an accuser of Mr. Gaiman’s. 4 different ladies spoke out about Mr. Gaiman’s abuse in a podcast final summer season.
Mr. Gaiman denied the allegations in an announcement final month, saying: “I’ve by no means engaged in non-consensual sexual exercise with anybody. Ever.” Representatives for Mr. Gaiman and Ms. Palmer didn’t reply to requests for touch upon Tuesday.
Ms. Pavlovich first met Ms. Palmer in New Zealand in 2020, when Ms. Pavlovich was 22 years previous and homeless, usually sleeping on the seashore, in keeping with the lawsuit. After Ms. Pavlovich and Ms. Palmer grew to become acquaintances, Ms. Pavlovich began operating errands for Ms. Palmer and Mr. Gaiman, generally babysitting their son.
Ms. Pavlovich was additionally coping with psychological well being points and had mentioned them with Ms. Palmer, in keeping with the go well with.
Ms. Palmer “was clearly conscious of the hazard that Gaiman posed,” the lawsuit stated.
In February 2022, the lawsuit stated, Ms. Palmer requested Ms. Pavlovich to babysit for the weekend, splitting time between Mr. Gaiman’s and Ms. Palmer’s separate homes.
On Feb. 4, 2022, Ms. Pavlovich arrived at Mr. Gaiman’s home for the afternoon and taken care of the kid for about an hour earlier than Mr. Gaiman took the boy to a good friend’s home, altering the course of the evening, in keeping with the lawsuit. After having dinner with Ms. Pavlovich, Mr. Gaiman urged her to take a shower whereas he made a cellphone name, the go well with stated.
However Mr. Gaiman, who was 61 on the time, returned to the tub — unannounced and bare — and assaulted and raped Ms. Pavlovich, in keeping with the go well with. There had been no work name, the go well with stated.
Ms. Pavlovich objected and informed Mr. Gaiman “no” as he proceeded to assault her, the lawsuit stated.
Ms. Pavlovich filed a police report accusing Mr. Gaiman of the assault, in keeping with the lawsuit. She stated on a podcast final 12 months that the police informed her there was not sufficient proof to pursue a case.
After the weekend, Ms. Palmer provided Ms. Pavlovich a job as a live-in nanny, with guarantees that she could be paid and that Mr. Gaiman would assist promote Ms. Pavlovich’s writing profession, in keeping with the lawsuit. The couple didn’t pay her, and all through her employment, Mr. Gaiman continued to sexually assault her, the lawsuit stated.
“She was, in impact, an financial hostage to Palmer and Gaiman,” the go well with stated. The go well with additionally stated that Mr. Gaiman informed Ms. Pavlovich to name him “grasp” and that he often referred to her as his “slave.”
The go well with additionally claims that Mr. Gaiman knew Ms. Pavlovich was not consenting to their sexual encounters and that in one assault, Ms. Pavlovich “screamed ‘I can’t’ and ‘no’ initially of the encounter.”
