Amid the accusations of sexual assault made against author Neil Gaiman, his ex-wife Amanda Palmer has been brought to the fore.
Gaiman is a British fantasist and author of nearly 50 books, including American Gods, Coraline and Good Omens. On January 13, New York magazine and its website, Vulture, published the cover story "There Is No Safe Word." The article has detailed old and new allegations various women have made against the author.
Gaiman's ex-wife Amanda Palmer is mentioned numerous times in the piece, as some women met the author through her. Here Newsweek explains what Palmer is said to have known about the alleged assaults.
Newsweek emailed spokespeople for Palmer and Gaiman for comment on Tuesday outside of normal business hours.
Who Is Neil Gaiman's Former Wife Amanda Palmer?
Palmer is a singer, songwriter, musician and performance artist who is best known as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the punk cabaret duo The Dresden Dolls. She was married to Neil Gaiman for 11 years before their divorce was finalized in 2022.
Do They Have Children Together?
Gaiman and Palmer share one child together, Anthony "Ash" Palmer Gaiman. He was born in 2015. According to Palmer's website, she and her son spend their time between New York City, Woodstock and Boston, Massachusetts.
Why Did Neil Gaiman and Amanda Palmer Divorce?
Gaiman and Palmer were no strangers to publicly discussing their open marriage, and they were up front about the difficulties they faced juggling their creative endeavors with the responsibilities of marriage and parenthood. They decided to "close" the marriage when they were expecting their son.
Per New York Magazine's report, Palmer's friends claim the musician asked for a divorce when a woman referred to as Rachel was still "having sexual contact" with Gaiman, which was long after Palmer thought the relationship had ended.
According to the article, the marriage started to unravel further when Palmer started finding out about the other women, who now characterize their interactions as nonconsensual.
Palmer reportedly confided in a woman referred to as Caroline about her marital problems at the time. Palmer told Caroline she was troubled by what she was discovering about her husband and allegedly told her: "You have no idea the twisted, dark things that go on in that man's head."
The couple announced their divorce in November 2022. While they called it a "difficult decision," they said they were committed to co-parenting their son in a "loving and compassionate environment."
Neil Gaiman Allegations: What Is Author Accused Of?
Gaiman has been accused of sexual assault by eight women, four of whom had previously spoken out before the article, which builds on information from Tortoise Media's six-part podcast Master: The Allegations Against Neil Gaiman, released in July and August of 2024.
One woman, Scarlett Pavlovich, explained that she began working as a nanny for Palmer in 2022 and claims Gaiman assaulted her in a bathtub on his property. She claimed she said "no" when the author made multiple sexual advances toward her and Gaiman assaulted her in a hotel room while his son was present.
Multiple accusers, including Pavlovich, have said he allegedly requested that they call him "master." One woman, using the pseudonym Brenda, told the publication: "He seemed to have a script. He wanted me to call him 'master' immediately."
A woman named Katherine Kendall said she met Gaiman when she was 22 in 2012. She recalled the author allegedly forcing himself on top of her and kissing her on a tour bus. When he eventually rolled off of her, she says he said: "I'm a very wealthy man." Kendra Stout recounted how her relationship with Gaiman began in 2003 and allegedly descended into being "physically torturous," including beatings and violent intercourse.
Pavlovich, Kendall and Stout all waived their anonymity when speaking to New York Magazine.
According to the women, consent and certain BDSM acts that they said occurred were not discussed or approved beforehand. Representatives for Gaiman told the Tortoise podcast that "sexual degradation, bondage, domination, sadism and masochism may not be to everyone's taste, but between consenting adults, BDSM is lawful."
At the time of writing, a spokesperson for Gaiman hadn't responded to Newsweek's request for comment.
Did Amanda Palmer Know About Any of the Alleged Assaults?
Pavlovich claims she told Palmer about Gaiman's actions in March 2022. She told the singer about the incident in the bath, and while she left out some details, she said: "I didn't have any choice in the matter. He just did it." However, Pavlovich didn't describe it as sexual assault as she didn't see it as such at the time.
According to Pavlovich, Palmer didn't seem shocked and told her "14 women have come to me about this." The article states: "She mentioned that Gaiman had slept with another babysitter during his first marriage, and that she'd heard from other women who were disturbed by their experiences with him."
When Pavlovich filed a police report in New Zealand, she was told by an officer that Palmer's help would be essential for the investigation. However, according to the article, Palmer refused to speak with the police.
Rachel told the publication that she had sex with Palmer after a Dresden Dolls concert. After sending semi-naked pictures of Rachel to her then-husband, Palmer introduced them to each other two months later.
Rachel claims that although there was never a "blatant rupture of consent" with Gaiman, he pressured her to do things that hurt her and made her feel uncomfortable. In retrospect, she believes Palmer gave her to Gaiman "like a toy."
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