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More Women — Including Former Nanny — Accuse Neil Gaiman of Sexual Assault

A recent New York Magazine story details accusations from multiple women which happened when most of them were in their 20s while Gaiman was in his 40s or older

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author neil gaiman on the set of american gods
Neil Gaiman on the set of “American Gods” in 2017. Photo from Neil Gaiman’s Facebook

Trigger warning: This story mentions accounts of alleged sexual assault

On January 13, New York Magazine published a cover story titled, “There is No Safe Word” by features writer Lila Shapiro, where eight women detailed their account of sexual assault allegations against Neil Gaiman, the best-selling fantasy author whose works of fiction — including Good Omens, The Sandman, and American Gods — have captivated millions of readers, and has been adapted for TV and movies. 

Interviews with multiple women who have come forward against Gaiman reveal troubling instances of sexual coercion and assault. One of these women, Scarlett Pavlovich, was aged 22 when she began babysitting for Gaiman and then-wife Amanda Palmer’s child. Pavlovich recounts how the author assaulted her multiple times, asking her to call him “master” and referring to her as his “slave.” Pavlovich also narrates one incident where Gaiman raped her inside a hotel room while his son was in the room, even talking to him during the act.

The other women recall similar and often violent interactions with the author. They all share how they were in their early 20s when the sexual assault took place, with Gaiman being much older and already established as an influential figure in the literary world. They also reveal that the author had them sign non-disclosure agreements and paid them different amounts of money. Pavlovich, for instance, received $9,200 in nine separate payments related to her babysitting job. Another of the women, who identifies herself as Caroline in the interview, claims she received $300,000 from Gaiman. Katherine Kendall, whom Gaiman allegedly assaulted while on tour, received $60,000 to, as Gaiman put it in a recorded phone call, “make up for the damage.”

The New York Magazine story is not the first time several of the women have come forward against the author. In July 2024, Tortoise Media released a six-part podcast titled “Master,” which covered the allegations of five women against Gaiman. Since the release of the podcast, the author has denied all allegations, claiming that the interactions had been consensual. 

Following these allegations, productions for Gaiman’s book-to-screen adaptations, including the final season of Prime Video’s Good Omens and Disney’s The Graveyard Book, have wrapped and halted respectively.

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