MADISON, Wis. – A federal judge has thrown out three lawsuits against best-selling British author Neil Gaiman, who was accused of sexually assaulting his child’s nanny in New Zealand four years ago.
Scarlet Pavlovich filed a lawsuit in February 2025 in Wisconsin, alleging multiple incidents of sexual assault by Gaiman in 2022 while she was working as a nanny. On the same day, she took legal action against Amanda Palmer, Gaiman’s wife, in Massachusetts and New York.
Gaiman owns a property in northwestern Wisconsin, while Palmer resides in Massachusetts. Pavlovich sought to withdraw her New York lawsuit against Palmer in May, explaining in court documents that she filed in Massachusetts due to Palmer’s recent move, leaving her uncertain about jurisdiction. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Viscosil granted this request in June.
Pavlovich also chose to drop parts of the Wisconsin case against Palmer in May. Subsequently, U.S. District Judge James Peterson dismissed the remaining claims in October, emphasizing that Pavlovich needed to pursue the matter in New Zealand. Similarly, Judge Nathaniel Gorton dismissed the Massachusetts case on Friday for related reasons.
No response has been provided by Pavlovich’s lawyer to an Associated Press request for comment on Monday. Attorneys representing Gaiman and Palmer have also not replied to inquiries.
The Associated Press generally does not disclose names of individuals who allege sexual assault unless they choose to do so publicly. Pavlovich shared her name during an interview with New York magazine, which covered allegations of assault and coercion from eight women.
Pavlovich’s lawsuit claims that she met Palmer, then 22 and homeless, in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2020. Following an invitation to their Waiheke Island home, she became their son’s nanny.
In her lawsuit, Pavlovich asserts that Gaiman assaulted her on the night they first met in February 2022. Despite the continuing assaults, she remained employed because she was homeless and Gaiman offered assistance with her writing aspirations.
When Pavlovich informed Palmer about the assaults, Palmer allegedly admitted that several women had also been abused by Gaiman. The assaults reportedly ceased once Pavlovich expressed suicidal thoughts to Palmer.
Pavlovich further alleged that Palmer was aware of Gaiman’s sexual tendencies and had offered her to him, knowing he would assault her. She accused both Gaiman and Palmer of violating federal anti-human trafficking laws, seeking a minimum of $7 million in damages.
After the New York magazine article was published, Gaiman denied ever engaging in non-consensual sex.
Gaiman’s legal team argued in their motion to dismiss the Wisconsin lawsuit that he and Pavlovich shared a brief relationship characterized by “consensual physical intimacy.” They mentioned that New Zealand police investigated the claims and found no evidence to support them, suggesting that the lawsuit was part of a campaign to tarnish Gaiman’s reputation and that any legal matters should be settled in New Zealand rather than the U.S.
Gaiman is known for his numerous works in science fiction and fantasy, such as “American Gods,” “The Graveyard Book,” “Anansi Boys,” and the children’s dark fairy tale “Coraline.” His novel “The Ocean at the End of the Lane,” released in 2013, won the British National Book Award.
