[Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault.]
American Gods, The Sandman, Good Omens, and Coraline author Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual assault by a woman who was once a babysitter for him and his ex-wife, singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer. The report also contains testimony from eight more women who allege they were sexually assaulted by Gaiman.
This report comes after sexual assault allegations against Gaiman from two women, including the former babysitter, first arose on a British podcast called Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman this past summer. The podcast was a project made specifically to report the allegations. Three more women subsequently came forward with their own allegations against Gaiman, two of them on a different podcast. This new report in Vulture marks the first investigative report into the allegations from a major American news outlet.
Scarlett Pavlovich met Palmer in 2019 in New Zealand when she was 22, she told Vulture. They struck up a friendship that led to Pavlovich occasionally babysitting Palmer and Gaiman’s child. The author and singer were married from 2011 to 2022, and they had split by the time of the alleged assault, which Pavlovich says happened at Gaiman’s New Zealand home in February 2022.
According to Pavlovich, she spent the day at Gaiman’s house while waiting for his and Palmer’s child to return from a playdate. She had been hired by Palmer to spend the weekend babysitting. Pavlovich spent the day getting to know Gaiman, whom she says eventually suggested that she take a bath in an outdoor clawfoot bathtub that night while he finished some work. She alleges that Gaiman, who was 61 at the time, then came out to the bathtub completely naked and got into the tub without her consent and proceeded to make small talk before telling her to stretch out and “get comfortable.” She alleges that he proceeded to sexually assault her.
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The Master podcast outlined an alleged pattern of Gaiman’s that consisted of him telling women in these sexual encounters to call him “master.” Gaiman maintains that these relationships, including the one with Pavlovich, were consensual. Vulture spoke with four of the women who shared their stories on Master as well as four other women who allege similar stories. Most of the women were in their 20s when Gaiman allegedly assaulted, coerced, or abused them. Vulture reports that two of these women were Gaiman’s employees and five of them were fans. The youngest person was reportedly 18 at the time.
In the time since the podcast allegations came out, Gaiman’s participation in the production of his actively running TV shows has changed. Good Omens‘ third and final season will now just be one 90-minute episode, and Gaiman is no longer involved in the production.
The Sandman Season 2 is set to premiere on Netflix in 2025. Gaiman is still credited as a writer and executive producer for the season. Some cast members wrapped filming their scenes in August 2024, but it’s not clear when filming wrapped on Season 2 or if it is still in production. Netflix shared a behind-the-scenes video from the set in September.
If you or someone you know is the victim of sexual assault, contact the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network‘s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
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