Neil Gaiman, the celebrated author of The Sandman and American Gods, is facing a lawsuit for rape and human trafficking filed by Scarlett Pavlovich, his former babysitter. The lawsuit, filed Monday, also names his wife, musician Amanda Palmer, alleging that she knowingly enabled the abuse.
Pavlovich, who previously shared her allegations in a Tortoise Media podcast, claims Gaiman took advantage of her vulnerable financial and mental health situation when she began working as a live-in nanny for the couple on Waiheke Island, New Zealand.
According to the lawsuit, Gaiman subjected Pavlovich to months of violent sexual assault, including repeated rape, choking and hitting her with a belt, and forcing her to call him "master" while he called her his "slave".
The suit states that Pavlovich endured the abuse out of fear of losing her job, housing, and promised career support. By the time she left, she was suicidal and required hospitalization at a psychiatric facility.
The allegations against Gaiman were further explored in a New York Magazine article last month, which included accusations from eight women.
Gaiman, who has since been dropped from multiple projects, responded to the claims in a statement titled "Breaking the Silence" on his website.
"I’m far from a perfect person, but I have never engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with anyone. Ever," he wrote. Gaiman admitted to being "selfish" and "careless with people's hearts and feelings" but insisted that some allegations were false and others were heavily distorted.
With Netflix's The Sandman set to conclude its second and final season, Gaiman’s future in the entertainment industry remains uncertain as the legal battle unfolds.
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