Latest news with #AmericanGods
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Neil Gaiman files $500,000 claim against former accuser over alleged NDA breach
Neil Gaiman 'Famed fantasy' writer Neil Gaiman has launched a major legal action seeking more than $500,000 from Caroline Wallner, the woman who accused him of coercive sexual behavior. The dispute that was first reported by Tortoise, stems from Wallner's claims that Gaiman pressured her into a sexual relationship while she was living at his property in upstate New York. Wallner alleges that Gaiman conditioned her stay at the residence on their sexual involvement, an accusation the author flatly denies. Gaiman maintains that their relationship was entirely consensual and disputes any suggestion of misconduct. In 2021, the two reportedly signed a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) with Wallner receiving a payment of $275,000. This financial settlement, according to Wallner was intended to assist her in dealing with the psychological aftermath of the relationship, including symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Legal clash intensifies: accusations of broken agreements The dispute has now escalated into a messy legal confrontation. Gaiman claims Wallner breached their confidentiality agreement by speaking to the media about their interactions, violating the terms they had agreed upon. In response, he filed for arbitration seeking damages exceeding half a million dollars. Wallner, for her part has countersued, asserting that it was Gaiman who first violated their agreement. According to New York Magazine, she alleges that Gaiman's legal team improperly retained digital evidence of their relationship, material that she says should have been destroyed under the terms of their NDA. The situation highlights the often fraught nature of private settlements especially when power dynamics, allegations of coercion and sensitive personal relationships are involved. JK Rowling enters the conversation The controversy reached an even wider audience when bestselling author J.K. Rowling weighed in publicly. Sharing a link to the story on X (formerly known as Twitter), Rowling remarked: 'During a long career I've somehow never got round to sleeping with vulnerable young fans, using them for unpaid labour or having sex with an employee. I know that sounds unbelievable, but it's surely not as astounding as Neil Gaiman's most recent move.' Rowling's post quickly went viral, stirring heated reactions online. Some praised her for calling out alleged abuses of power in the entertainment and literary industries while others criticized her for speaking out before a legal resolution is reached. A complicated chapter for Gaiman Neil Gaiman best known for acclaimed works like 'The Sandman, American Gods and Coraline,' has enjoyed a celebrated career spanning decades. His imaginative storytelling has earned him international acclaim, a loyal fanbase and numerous awards. This legal battle now casts a long shadow over his public image. For an author whose work often explores the fine line between reality and fantasy, the real-world courtroom drama is a sharp contrast to the fictional worlds he has built. As arbitration proceedings move forward, both Gaiman and Wallner are poised for a legal showdown that could have significant consequences not just for them but for how public figures handle private accusations and settlements in the digital age. At this stage, neither side appears ready to back down, and the outcome remains uncertain.
Boston Globe
15-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Brooklyn venue cancels Amanda Palmer's show after complaints; New York's City Winery picks it up
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up But the date at National Sawdust has been scrubbed from the venue's website, and in an email to a woman who objected to Palmer's performance there, Ana De Archuleta, managing director of National Sawdust, wrote: 'Your voice matters. After careful consideration, National Sawdust has decided not to present the May 17 event.' Related : Advertisement In an email to Globe on Saturday, De Archuleta, who co-founded the nonprofit performance space with composer Paola Prestini, confirmed that Palmer's show is off. 'Once the leadership and Board of Trustees of the non-profit organization became aware of the complex situation surrounding the artist, the Board decided not to move forward with the show,' De Archuleta wrote. Gaiman, the British writer best known for the comic book series 'The Sandman' and the novels 'Good Omens,' 'American Gods,' and 'Coraline,' was accused in a Palmer, a Advertisement 'I thank you all deeply for continuing to respect my recent request for privacy as I navigate this extremely difficult moment. I must protect my young child and his right to privacy,' she wrote. 'With that as my priority, I will not respond to the specific allegations being made against me except to say that I deny the allegations and will respond in due course. My heart goes out to all survivors.' The Gaiman accuser who urged National Sawdust to rescind its invitation to Palmer is included in both the podcast and the New York magazine story. In an email to the venue, the woman wrote: 'I'd like to register a huge complaint that you are hosting an Amanda Palmer show at your beautiful venue…She is currently involved in a civil suit that credibly implicates her as a sex trafficker. Her values seem unaligned with the values of National Sawdust. And by allowing her a platform to amplify her voice, you would be simultaneously alienating and silencing the voices of her many, many victims.' Through her publicist, Dini von Mueffling, Palmer issued a statement to the Globe on Saturday, saying that the canceled show will now be held at City Winery New York City. ('I can confirm we have offered our stage for her art,' City Winery CEO Michael Dorf wrote in an email.) Palmer said she's grateful for the opportunity to perform in New York. ' I'm thrilled that City Winery is offering us a safe haven for my show and community, and also deeply grateful to the many people who fought to keep my show at National Sawdust,' she said. 'I reiterate that I look forward to the truth coming out and must remain agonizingly silent at the advice of my attorneys — not because I am guilty, but because of how our legal system works. Silence is not a natural state for me and I am very eager for facts and the truth to come to light; to all who support and see me, my endless gratitude.' Advertisement Mark Shanahan can be reached at
Boston Globe
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Amanda Palmer announces May shows. 'I just want to be back with my community.'
'I'm leaving my cave,' Palmer says in Advertisement The singer has kept an uncharacteristically low profile since a bombshell Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Gaiman, best known for the comic book series 'The Sandman' and the novels 'Good Omens,' 'American Gods,' and 'Coraline,' has Palmer, a Concord native who gained notoriety in the band has not specifically addressed the claims against Gaiman or the accusations included in the lawsuit. But she previously posted a statement on social media denying all allegations. 'I thank you all deeply for continuing to respect my recent request for privacy as I navigate this extremely difficult moment. I must protect my young child and his right to privacy,' Palmer wrote. 'With that as my priority, I will not respond to the specific allegations being made against me except to say that I deny the allegations and will respond in due course. My heart goes out to all survivors.' Advertisement Contacted by the Globe on Tuesday, Palmer declined through her publicist to comment on Pavlovich's lawsuit. Before the pandemic, Palmer lived with Gaiman and their young son in upstate New York. She and her son then spent much of lockdown in Many of her fans welcomed Palmer's announcement of the two upcoming shows. 'You give me hope. Thank you! Keep going!!!' wrote one commenter on Instagram. But others faulted her for remaining silent about the women's allegations against Gaiman. 'You should take a step back from framing yourself as a women's rights advocate and feminist artist until the abuse allegations and your involvement in the matter are cleared up,' wrote one woman. 'It's a slap in the face of victims. Where has your support and empowerment been when they were in need? Someone so educated on the topic of abuse would have hardly missed the signs' 'You'll probably get seriously heckled,' wrote another commenter. In reply, Palmer wrote: 'I hope that if anybody heckles me, we can bring them up on stage, give them a feather boa and a cup of tea or wine and a microphone and have a calm chat. I will have these things at the ready. I am a big girl … My true community is pretty mature. They're critical thinkers and compassionate, wise in the ways of the world and how it works. They understand what's going on. We got this.' Advertisement Mark Shanahan can be reached at
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wisconsin suit accuses author of repeated sexual assaults
MENOMONIE — A federal lawsuit filed in Wisconsin accuses a renowned author of sexually abusing a New Zealand woman. Scarlett Pavlovich accuses Neil Gaiman, who the filing says lives in Menomonie, of having 'a decades-long history of sexual misconduct' that includes repeated sexual assaults against Pavlovich. Pavlovich publicly identified herself in a January interview with New York Magazine in an article that included allegations against Gaiman by eight women. Gaiman In the filing, Pavlovich says she was homeless and living on a beach in New Zealand when she met Gaiman's then-wife, Amanda Palmer. The couple was separated at the time, and Palmer asked Pavlovich if she could babysit for the couple's young son. Palmer and Gaiman had separate homes on Waiheke Island, near Auckland, and the work involved spending time at both homes. The suit names both Gaiman and Palmer, who Pavlovich accuses of 'procuring and presenting Plaintiff to Gaiman for such abuse.' It details multiple sexual assaults and accuses Gaiman and Palmer of failing to pay her for working as a live-in nanny. 'She was, in effect, and economic hostage to Palmer and Gaiman,' the suit says. Pavlovich's filing says the promise of housing and career support transforms the assaults into commercial sex acts, which it defines as an act in which 'anything of value is given to or received by any person.' 'Defendants knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported and/or obtained Scarlett for labor or services while knowing she would be forced to engage in sexual acts as a condition of receiving the pay and housing they promised her,' the suit says. That accusation links to what Pavlovich says was Palmer's response when she told her what Gaiman had done. Palmer, according to the suit, 'told Scarlett — for the first time — more than a dozen women, including several former employees, had previously come to Palmer about abusive sexual encounters with Gaiman.' Palmer further said Gaiman would 'be inevitably 'MeTooed,'' a reference to the #MeToo movement that seeks to publicly identify men who have taken advantage of their positions to sexually assault women. Pavlovich became suicidal and was kicked out of the couple's homes after being hospitalized, the suit says. Pavlovich's suit does not specify a figure for restitution, but seeks damages 'reasonably believed to be in excess of $1,000,000.00' Gaiman released a statement last month denying having ever sexually assaulting anyone. He posted that he is 'far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever,' on Tumblr. Gaiman is well known for his writing, which includes the 'Sandman' comic series, novels including 'American Gods,' and numerous films and television adaptations of his work. Those include a Netflix adaptation of the first story arc in 'Sandman,' as well as 'Coraline,' an animated film based on the book of the same name. Two of Gaiman's publishers have announced they will not release his works in the future, while others have stayed silent. The suit was filed Monday. As yet neither Gaiman nor Palmer have filed responses.
Yahoo
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Author Neil Gaiman and estranged wife sued for sexual assault
By Tom Hals WILMINGTON, Delaware (Reuters) - The best-selling author Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife were sued by a New Zealand woman who is seeking millions of dollars for alleged sexual abuse and human trafficking while she worked for them as a nanny and babysitter, according to three lawsuits filed on Monday. Scarlett Pavlovich said Gaiman, author of The Sandman comic book series and the novel American Gods, repeatedly raped her while she worked for him and Amanda Palmer in 2022, causing physical, mental and emotional harm. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Palmer was accused of knowing that Pavlovich was vulnerable, and failing to warn that Gaiman had a history of predatory behavior, according to court papers. The couple were named as defendants in Pavlovich's lawsuit filed in the federal court in Madison, Wisconsin. Palmer is the sole defendant in Pavlovich's federal lawsuits filed in Manhattan and Boston. Gaiman owns a property in Wisconsin and Palmer is a resident of either New York or Massachusetts, according to the lawsuits. Gaiman denied allegations of inappropriate sexual relations in a January blog post, following media reports on the allegations. "I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever," he wrote. Gaiman has not been criminally charged. Palmer's representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday. The lawsuits seek unspecified damages that are "reasonably believed" to exceed $1 million on multiple claims. According to court papers, Palmer met Pavlovich in Auckland, New Zealand in 2020, when Pavlovich was 22 and homeless, and was aware Pavlovich suffered from mental health problems. Then in 2022, when Palmer and Gaiman were living separately on Waiheke Island near Auckland, Palmer allegedly asked Pavlovich to begin babysitting the couple's child. Desperate for money and housing, Pavlovich agreed, but soon Gaiman began sexually abusing her, including by raping her, choking her, and assaulting her in the presence of his child, according to court papers. The abuse allegedly lasted several weeks, until Gaiman and his child left for Europe. Pavlovich said Palmer told her that more than a dozen women, including several former employees, had complained to her about abusive sexual encounters with Gaiman. According to court papers, Pavlovich filed a police report accusing Gaiman of sexual assault, but the police did nothing because Palmer refused to talk with them. Misconduct allegations against Gaiman began to surface publicly in 2024, and Dark Horse Comics said last month it would no longer publish his works. Gaiman's comic books and novels include Coraline, The Graveyard Book, Good Omens and How to Talk to Girls at Parties.
