A former nanny who worked for The Sandman author Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, musician Amanda Palmer, has filed a federal lawsuit against Gaiman, accusing him of human trafficking under the Trafficking Victim Protection Act.

The plaintiff, Scarlett Pavlovich, has also alleged that Gaiman engaged in sexual coercion, assault, and rape during her employment. She is among multiple women who have recently come forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against the British writer.

Earlier this month, Pavlovich spoke on the record to Vulture, following a six-episode podcast series by Master, which detailed allegations of sexual assault from five different women against Gaiman.

She is now seeking damages exceeding £790,000 (approximately $1,000,000 USD), with the exact amount to be determined at trial.

Gaiman has denied all allegations of non consensual sexual activity.

Lawsuit claims Gaiman used coercion for ‘sexual services’

According to the lawsuit, Pavlovich was first raped by Gaiman in February 2022, after she was asked to babysit the couple’s son at their home in Waiheke, New Zealand. She claims this was the first of multiple instances of alleged sexual violence, all of which took place while she was employed as a nanny.

Although she was promised payment for her childcare work, Pavlovich alleges she was not compensated until months after her employment ended.

The lawsuit, filed in Wisconsin—where Gaiman owns a home—names both Gaiman and Palmer as defendants.

It further claims that Palmer was aware of Pavlovich’s financial struggles and mental health challenges, yet still recruited her to work for the couple.

Allegations against Amanda Palmer

The complaint alleges that Palmer “knowingly recruited Scarlett to come to Waiheke with the intention of obtaining her uncompensated labour,” making Pavlovich “an economic hostage” to both Palmer and Gaiman.

It states that Gaiman’s behaviour was designed to coerce sexual services and free childcare, making Pavlovich believe that refusal would lead to serious harm or physical restraint.

The lawsuit further accuses Palmer of recklessly disregarding the likelihood that Gaiman would sexually exploit Pavlovich.

“Palmer was sufficiently aware that Gaiman was likely to target Scarlett that she warned Gaiman to stay away from her before bringing Scarlett into their home as a babysitter,” the complaint claims.

However, it states that Palmer never warned Pavlovich about the alleged danger.

“Had Palmer warned Scarlett of the known danger posed by Gaiman, Scarlett would never have agreed to babysit Palmer’s child at Gaiman’s house,” it reads.

The lawsuit marks a significant escalation in the ongoing allegations against Neil Gaiman, adding to the growing scrutiny surrounding his past behaviour.