Neil Gaiman accused of abuse again as queer survivor takes a stand

Scroll To Top

***WARNING: Some of the content in this article deals with sensitive topics of abuse. Please read with caution.

New allegations and details about Neil Gaiman's alleged abuse have been revealed.

In case you haven't heard, Vulture just dropped a bombshell exposé on Gaiman titled "There Is No Safe Word," which describes, in shocking detail, the allegations from eight women who detail his sexual assault, coercion, and abuse. It also implicated his ex-wife Amanda Palmer in some degree of complicity with his alleged crimes.

The piece, written by Lila Shapiro, who also gave us an in-depth look into Joss Whedon a few years ago, highlights the chilling dissonance between Gaiman's public persona as a feminist and the shared stories by his accusers. Among them is perhaps most notably Scarlett Pavlovich, a 22-year-old gay woman who worked as a nanny for Gaiman and Palmer.

This is also not the first time Pavlovich has said anything.

In the Vulture piece, Pavlovich describes an unsettling power dynamic and alleged assaults, recalling one incident where Gaiman joined her in a garden bathtub despite her discomfort. “I said ‘no.’ He said, ‘Don’t ruin the moment,’” she told Shapiro, adding that what followed left her feeling “a subtle terror.” Pavlovich’s story adds another harrowing pain point as she noted, “I’m gay. I’d never had sex [with a man].”

Elsewhere, Pavlovich recalled Gaiman telling her that Palmer told him he "couldn't have" her, which only fueled his desires. According to Pavlovich, she said Gaiman wished "it were the gold old days we we could both [he and Palmer] f**k you."

Seven of the eight accusers in the article emphasize that they had no interest in BDSM, a culture Gaiman’s representatives claim he engaged in consensually. However, as Shapiro points out, “If just one party consents, then it’s not BDSM but abuse.”

Despite the gravity of these claims, Gaiman’s career remains largely intact, for now, and major projects with Netflix and Amazon Prime are still currently slated for later this year. Meanwhile, Pavlovich and others continue to process the aftermath, finding solace in one another’s stories -- which have finally gotten the public attention they deserve.

Keep scrolling for reactions from fellow writers, queer folk, and fans as we watch the downfall of Neil Gaiman in real-time.