Neil Gaiman, wife sued for rape and human trafficking of babysitter

Author Neil Gaiman has been named as an accused in a lawsuit alleging that he repeatedly raped his former babysitter, Scarlett Pavlovich—allegations that were first raised in a Tortoise Media podcast last year.

Pavlovich has also sued Gaiman’s wife, Amanda Palmer, claiming that she was aware of his history of sexual misconduct when she hired Pavlovich to work for them, according to Variety. The lawsuit accuses both Gaiman and Palmer of human trafficking, alleging that they exploited Pavlovich because she was destitute and had struggled with mental health issues. At the time she worked for the couple as a live-in nanny, they lived in separate houses on Waiheke Island, near Auckland, New Zealand.

Over the course of several months, Pavlovich alleges that Gaiman repeatedly and violently raped her. The suit further claims that he choked her, hit her with a belt, called her his “slave,” and demanded that she refer to him as “master.” The complaint states, “Gaiman engaged in many non-consensual sex acts with Scarlett. Those acts were abusive and demeaning. Scarlett endured those acts because she would lose her job, housing, and promised future career support if she did not.”

According to the suit, Gaiman cultivated a reputation as a feminist, which initially led Pavlovich to trust him. By the end of the ordeal, she states that she became suicidal and had to be hospitalized at a psychiatric center.

Neil Gaiman, a prolific writer-producer and author of comic books and novels, has been dropped from several projects since the allegations emerged last summer. His Netflix series, The Sandman, is set to conclude with its second season this year. In a post on his website titled “Breaking the Silence,” Gaiman denied the allegations.