Federal judges in the United States have dismissed three lawsuits accusing the bestselling fantasy author Neil Gaiman of sexually assaulting his children's former nanny, Scarlett Pavlovich, in New Zealand. The rulings were based on jurisdictional grounds, with judges saying the claims should be pursued in New Zealand rather than US courts.
Pavlovich filed suits in Wisconsin, Massachusetts and New York in early 2025, alleging that Gaiman assaulted her repeatedly in 2022 while she worked as a nanny for him and his wife, musician Amanda Palmer. She later withdrew the New York case and the portion of the Wisconsin suit concerning Palmer. Judges in Wisconsin and Massachusetts subsequently dismissed the remaining claims, concluding that US courts were not the appropriate venue for allegations tied to events in New Zealand.
Gaiman has strongly denied the accusations, saying he has never sexually abused anyone, and his lawyers have argued that the relationship described was consensual. They also noted that New Zealand police investigated the allegations and found them to be without merit. This is a developing news story...