A judge in federal court in Boston has dismissed all legal claims against F&M client Amanda Palmer, a successful musician, artist, and author, in a civil lawsuit by a woman who briefly worked as a babysitter for Palmer and her ex-husband, Neil Gaiman, when they lived with their son in New Zealand.
The former babysitter accused Gaiman – not Ms. Palmer – of having raped and sexually assaulted her on several occasions. But she sued Ms. Palmer for millions in damages in an outrageous and inappropriate effort to hold her financially responsible for the alleged misconduct of her estranged partner. The judge ruled that the former babysitter had improperly accused Ms. Palmer of “sex trafficking” and that any litigation concerning her claims should proceed in New Zealand, where all of the alleged events occurred.
The case has received extensive media coverage. NPR, the New York Times, and the Washington Post initially reported on the lawsuit, and the Boston Globe later reported on the dismissal.
Ms. Palmer never should have been sued, and if she weren’t an international celebrity, she probably wouldn’t have been.