Latest news with #Master:TheAllegationsAgainst
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Neil Gaiman Says Texts With Rape Accuser Show ‘Enthusiastic,' Consensual Relationship: ‘She Is a Fantasist'
Neil Gaiman answered sexual assault and trafficking allegations made by former live-in nanny Scarlett Pavlovich on Tuesday, filing a motion for dismissal that included text messages he says show they engaged in an 'enthusiastic' and consensual sexual relationship. 'None of Pavlovich's claims are true,' Gaiman wrote in the motion filed in a Wisconsin federal court. 'She is a fantasist who has fabricated a tale of abuse against me and Ms. Palmer.' Gaiman provided screenshots from a number of WhatsApp messages in hopes of furthering his point. The first was from February 2022 – shortly after the pair's first interaction in a bathtub in New Zealand. 'Thank you for a lovely lovely night – wow x,' Pavlovich said. She followed up a couple days later saying, ''Let me know If you want me to run a bath… I am consumed by thoughts of you, the things you will do to me. I'm so hungry.' Pavlovich filed a complaint against Gaiman and Amanda Palmer on Feb. 3, accusing his now-estranged wife of 'procuring and presenting Plaintiff to Gaiman for such abuse,' including physical harm, emotional distress and disturbing non-consensual sex acts, pushing her to become suicidal. 'The 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 stated. Pavlovich 'endured those acts because she would lose her job, housing, and promised future career support if she did not.' Gaiman's filing Tuesday also included messages where he initially confronted Pavlovich about her rape accusations and plans to 'MeToo' him. 'Oh my God. Neil! I never said that,' she wrote. 'But I'm horrified by your message – me too you? Rape? WHAT? This is the first I have heard of this. Wow. I need a moment to digest your message… I have never used the word rape, I'm just so shocked, I honestly don't know what to say.' Later texts show Gaiman expressing concern he was being painted as a 'monster' when he assumed their relationship was consenting. Pavlovich's responses seemed to provide reassurances she thought the same. 'This is beyond out of control and as I said I only have fondness and kindness for you,' she wrote. 'It was consensual – how many times do I have to f–king tell everyone.' Five women initially accused Gaiman of sexual misconduct as part of the podcast series 'Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.' Four more women later shared their experiences with with New York Magazine. Since the first allegations came out, the Netflix series 'The Sandman' has been canceled and a planned third season of 'Good Omens,' which is also based on Gaiman's writings, has been significantly shortened. He was also dropped by his publisher, Dark Horse Comics. The post Neil Gaiman Says Texts With Rape Accuser Show 'Enthusiastic,' Consensual Relationship: 'She Is a Fantasist' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Former nanny claims in lawsuit that author Neil Gaiman raped her repeatedly
The former nanny of best-selling fantasy writer Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, Amanda Palmer, claims in a lawsuit that Gaiman raped her repeatedly and demanded that she call him 'master.' Scarlett Pavlovich filed lawsuits in federal court in Massachusetts, New York and Wisconsin on Monday, accusing Gaiman and Palmer of violating federal human trafficking prohibitions. She is seeking over $7 million in damages. Pavlovich and four other women came forward with abuse allegations against Gaiman in July on a podcast titled 'Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.' Five women, including Pavlovich (who did not use her full name in the podcast), accused him of unwanted sexual contact. Pavlovich later came forward with her full name and detailed the allegations of abuse in a New York Magazine story published last month, which included allegations from a total of eight women. Pavlovich said she was 22 when she met the couple in 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. She said Palmer invited her to her home on Waiheke Island, which is about a 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland. She began working for the couple first by running errands, then by babysitting their son and helping with chores, according to the suit. Gaiman, a British writer now living in Wisconsin, has written nearly 50 books, many of which have been adapted for film and TV, including 'The Sandman' and 'Coraline.' Palmer, who lives in upstate New York, made her mark as part of the punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. The two announced they were getting divorced in 2022. Gaiman previously denied allegations made by accusers in a statement on his website last month. 'I'm far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever,' he wrote. He said he regrets being 'obviously careless with people's hearts and feelings,' calling it 'selfish.' But '[s]ome of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality,' he wrote. Before the lawsuit was filed, Palmer posted on Instagram that she could not comment, 'as there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings.' The couple, who married in 2011, have one child together. Gaiman and Palmer did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Neither has publicly commented on the recent lawsuits. The lawsuit says: 'Gaiman engaged in many nonconsensual 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.' Palmer played a role in 'procuring and presenting' Pavlovich to her husband, according to court documents. 'More than a dozen women, including several former employees, had previously come to Palmer about abusive sexual encounters with Gaiman,' the lawsuit says. Pavlovich 'had nowhere to go' and would have been homeless if she left, according to the lawsuit, which describes Pavlovich as the couple's 'economic hostage.' 'Scarlett knew that she had only two choices: she could either submit to Gaiman's coercion and violence or she could try to escape,' the lawsuit says. When Pavlovich met the couple, it says, she was penniless and 'sleeping on the beach.' Pavlovich, who is lesbian, was also grappling with 'substantial mental health difficulties.' Pavlovich had also been raped at age 15 by a middle-age man, the suit says. Palmer was aware of her history, Pavlovich said in the court documents. Pavlovich said she was at Gaiman's house in New Zealand when the first sexual assault happened on Feb. 4, 2022. She said that Gaiman, who was 61 at the time, called her his 'slave' and that the assaults continued until she told Palmer she would kill herself and was hospitalized. 'Some incidents took place in the presence of Gaiman and Palmer's child,' the lawsuit says. After Pavlovich was released from the hospital, the papers say, Gaiman paid her for the babysitting she had done and helped cover her rent for a few months. Pavlovich alleged that when she reported the rapes to the police, she thought Palmer would back up her charges, because she 'had expressed disgust for what Gaiman had done, calling him 'Weinstein' and predicting he would be inevitably 'MeTooed'.' 'Her hope was in vain,' the papers say. 'The police took no action because Palmer refused to talk to them.' Gaiman has experienced some professional fallout since the allegations surfaced last year. Dark Horse Comics said on X last month that it would no longer publish his works. A planned movie adaptation of one of his books was reportedly put on pause. This article was originally published on
NBC News
04-02-2025
- Entertainment
- NBC News
Former nanny claims in lawsuit that author Neil Gaiman raped her repeatedly
The former nanny of best-selling fantasy writer Neil Gaiman and his estranged wife, Amanda Palmer, claims in a lawsuit that Gaiman raped her repeatedly and demanded that she call him 'master.' Scarlett Pavlovich filed lawsuits in federal court in Massachusetts, New York and Wisconsin on Monday, accusing Gaiman and Palmer of violating federal human trafficking prohibitions. She is seeking over $7 million in damages. Pavlovich and four other women came forward with abuse allegations against Gaiman in July on a podcast titled 'Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.' Five women, including Pavlovich (who did not use her full name in the podcast), accused him of unwanted sexual contact. Pavlovich later came forward with her full name and detailed the allegations of abuse in a New York Magazine story published last month, which included allegations from a total of eight women. Pavlovich said she was 22 when met the couple in 2020 in Auckland, New Zealand. She said Palmer invited her to her home on Waiheke Island, which is about a 40-minute ferry ride from Auckland. She began working for the couple first by running errands, then by babysitting their son and helping with chores, according to the suit. Gaiman, a British writer now living in Wisconsin, has written nearly 50 books, many of which have been adapted for film and TV, including 'The Sandman' and 'Coraline.' Palmer, who lives in upstate New York, made her mark as part of the punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. The two announced they were getting divorced in 2022. Gaiman previously denied allegations made by accusers in a statement on his website last month. 'I'm far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever,' he wrote. He said he regrets being 'obviously careless with people's hearts and feelings,' calling it 'selfish.' But '[s]ome of the horrible stories now being told simply never happened, while others have been so distorted from what actually took place that they bear no relationship to reality,' he wrote. Before the lawsuit was filed, Palmer posted on Instagram that she could not comment, 'as there are ongoing custody and divorce proceedings.' The couple, who married in 2011, have one child together. Gaiman and Palmer did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. Neither has publicly commented on the recent lawsuits. The lawsuit says: 'Gaiman engaged in many nonconsensual 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.' Palmer played a role in 'procuring and presenting' Pavlovich to her husband, according to court documents. 'More than a dozen women, including several former employees, had previously come to Palmer about abusive sexual encounters with Gaiman,' the lawsuit says. Pavlovich 'had nowhere to go' and would have been homeless if she left, according to the lawsuit, which describes Pavlovich as the couple's 'economic hostage.' 'Scarlett knew that she had only two choices: she could either submit to Gaiman's coercion and violence or she could try to escape,' the lawsuit says. When Pavlovich met the couple, it says, she was penniless and 'sleeping on the beach.' Pavlovich, who is lesbian, was also grappling with 'substantial mental health difficulties.' Pavlovich had also been raped at age 15 by a middle-age man, the suit says. Palmer was aware of her history, Pavlovich said in the court documents. Pavlovich said she was at Gaiman's house in New Zealand when the first sexual assault happened on Feb. 4, 2022. She said that Gaiman, who was 61 at the time, called her his 'slave' and that the assaults continued until she told Palmer she would kill herself and was hospitalized. 'Some incidents took place in the presence of Gaiman and Palmer's child,' the lawsuit says. After Pavlovich was released from the hospital, the papers say, Gaiman paid her for the babysitting she had done and helped cover her rent for a few months. Pavlovich alleged that when she reported the rapes to the police, she thought Palmer would back up her charges, because she 'had expressed disgust for what Gaiman had done, calling him 'Weinstein' and predicting he would be inevitably 'MeTooed'.' 'Her hope was in vain,' the papers say. 'The police took no action because Palmer refused to talk to them.' Gaiman has experienced some professional fallout since the allegations surfaced last year. Dark Horse Comics said on X last month that it would no longer publish his works. A planned movie adaptation of one of his books was reportedly put on pause.
Los Angeles Times
28-01-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Neil Gaiman dropped by publisher Dark Horse Comics over sexual assault allegations
Dark Horse Comics has taken a stance against author Neil Gaiman, who faces multiple allegations of sexual assault. The publishing company over the weekend announced it will no longer publish the 'American Gods' and 'Good Omens' author's work. As part of taking 'seriously the allegations against' Gaiman, Dark Horse Comics said on X (formerly Twitter) that it also has canceled his 'Anansi Boys' comic series and collected volume. A representative for Gaiman did not immediately respond to The Times' request for comment. Dark Horse Comics, which still features Gaiman's work on its website, shared its statement weeks after several women accused the writer of sexual assault in a story published by New York Magazine. In the article published Jan. 13, eight women accused Gaiman, 64, of assault, abuse and coercion. The allegations stemmed from the 1990s to 2022 when he was living in the United States, Britain and New Zealand. Several of the women who came forward about the alleged abuse for the New York article previously shared their stories in July 2024 on the Tortoise Media podcast 'Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.' A day after the article was published, Gaiman published a statement to his website denying the women's allegations. 'I'm far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual activity with anyone. Ever,' he asserted in his lengthy missive. Gaiman wrote about his efforts to 'do the work needed,' regain the trust of loved ones and readers and reflect on his past. He wrote: 'I don't accept there was any abuse.' Gaiman has sold more than 50 million copies of his books, including 'The Sandman' and 'Coraline,' worldwide. He has channeled that success into a lucrative Hollywood career built off TV and movie adaptations of his work. That now faces some uncertainty amid the sexual assault allegations. Disney, which was set to adapt Gaiman's novel 'The Graveyard Book' for film, hit pause on the production in September, months after Tortoise Media broke news of the allegations in July. Shortly after Disney's move, Gaiman distanced himself from the third and final season of Prime Video's 'Good Omens.' Following Gaiman's exit, Amazon decided in October it would shift its 'Good Omens' series finale efforts. Instead of a full season, 'Good Omens' will end with a 90-minute episode sans Gaiman, multiple outlets reported. It's currently unclear whether Amazon will move forward with that sole episode. Amazon in 2021 also secured a series order to adapt Gaiman's 'Anansi Boys.' Delroy Lindo, Malachi Kirby, CCH Pounder, Jason Watkins, Fiona Shaw and Whoopi Goldberg have since joined the cast. The status of the 'Anansi Boys' production also remains unclear. A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to The Times' request for more information. Beyond Prime Video, Gaiman's work found new life at Netflix, which adapted his 'Dead Boy Detectives' and 'The Sandman' for TV. The former was canceled after its first season in August but 'The Sandman' secured a second season. Netflix revealed in September that 'The Sandman' would return in 2025. A representative for the streaming giant did not immediately respond to The Times' request for more information. Times staff writer Nardine Saad contributed to this report.
New York Times
27-01-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Comic Book Publisher Drops Neil Gaiman Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations
The comic book company that publishes the graphic novels and comics of Neil Gaiman announced this weekend that it would no longer work with the author following a storm of sexual misconduct allegations and that it would halt the publication of his forthcoming 'Anansi Boys' series. The company, Dark Horse Comics, wrote in a post on X on Saturday: 'Dark Horse takes seriously the allegations against Neil Gaiman and we are no longer publishing his works.' The announcement followed a New York Magazine article this month that contained allegations that Mr. Gaiman sexually abused and assaulted multiple women over several years. Mr. Gaiman has emphatically denied the allegations and said in a statement on Jan. 14: 'I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever.' The announcement by Dark Horse Comics, which is based in Milwaukie, Ore., is the latest fallout for Mr. Gaiman. Television adaptations of his work have been paused, productions have been dropped, and several publishers have backed away from working with him on any new projects. Dark Horse released the first of the 'Anansi Boys' comic book series, which was an adaptation of Mr. Gaiman's 2005 novel of the same name, in June. It was intended to be an eight-part series, seven of which have been released. The New York Magazine article, published on Jan. 13, gave shape to allegations that began circulating last summer, when several women appeared on a podcast titled 'Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman.' After they accused the author on the podcast of sexually assaulting and abusing them, several of Mr. Gaiman's film adaptations and Hollywood projects were dropped or paused. The response has been slower in the literary and publishing industries, where the initial reaction to the allegations, and then to the New York Magazine article, was more tepid. Still, publishers have begun distancing themselves from the author. Several prominent writers have denounced him or pushed for his literary awards to be stripped. In an internal memo to the staff of W.W. Norton earlier this month, the company's president said that the publishing company would no longer work with Mr. Gaiman and would not take on any future projects from him. HarperCollins, which has published many of Mr. Gaiman's most popular titles, has said it does not have any new books planned from him. Neither Mr. Gaiman's lawyer nor his literary agent at Writer's House responded to a request for comment.
