Who is Amanda Palmer, disgraced writer Neil Gaiman’s ex-wife? The Sandman and Good Omens author has been accused of rape and human trafficking, while Palmer is accused of ‘procuring’ a victim

Feb 6 , 2025

Meet Amanda Palmer, disgraced writer Neil Gaiman’s ex-wife. Photo: TNS

Palmer, whose divorce from Gaiman is ongoing, is named in a lawsuit filed this week by Scarlett Pavlovich, one of several women who have recently accused the fantasy writer of sexual assault

English author Neil Gaiman has been accused of sexual assault by eight different women, per the BBC. The accusations have led to publishers such as HarperCollins saying they will not release his books in future, while a planned Disney adaptation of The Graveyard Book has been put on hold. The creator of The Sandman now faces a civil lawsuit for sexual assault brought by Scarlett Pavlovich, one of his alleged victims, who worked as a nanny for him and his ex-wife Amanda Palmer.

Per The Guardian, the lawsuit also accuses Gaiman of rape and coercion, and alleges that the former couple breached human trafficking laws. Palmer is also being sued for “procuring and presenting” Pavlovich to Gaiman after she met her in Auckland when she was living unhoused on a beach at 22 years old. Gaiman has denied all the allegations. The plaintiff also claims the author’s wife had warned her that more than a dozen women had told her Gaiman had sexually assaulted them.

So who is Amanda Palmer, who is “profoundly disturbed” by the allegations against her ex-husband, per The Guardian?

She’s a musician

Amanda Palmer is a musician. Photo: @amandapalmer/Facebook

According to Newsweek, Palmer is a musician, best known as the lead singer and songwriter of The Dresden Dolls. She describes the duo’s musical style as “Brechtian punk cabaret”, per Genius. Palmer also invented the fictional musical duo Evelyn Evelyn alongside experimental folk musician Jason Webley, where the two play conjoined twin sisters. According to Palmer’s blog, one of the songs on the duo’s self-titled album, “My Space”, features vocals from Gaiman, as well as “Weird Al” Yankovic, Frances Bean Cobain and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way.

She is problematic too

Amanda Palmer’s work has been problematic. Photo: @amandapalmer/Facebook

Palmer and Webley’s Evelyn Evelyn has faced much backlash for being ableist. When asked about the mythical twins in an interview with Flavorwire, Palmer compared the state of being conjoined to a metaphor. “You can definitely see the deep metaphors in being permanently attached to another person for better or for worse,” she said.