Danny Elfman is sued for defamation for denying allegations of sexual abuse

Film composer Danny Elfman is facing a defamation lawsuit over statements he made to the media last year to defend himself against allegations that he sexually abused a former girlfriend and fellow composer.

In a case filed in Los Angeles court on Wednesday (July 10), Nomi Abadi accused Elfman of harassing her in his response to a July 2023 article in Rolling Stonewhich detailed Abadi’s allegations that Elfman repeatedly sexually harassed her, exposed himself and masturbated in front of her.

Her lawyers say Abadi “truthfully relayed facts” Rolling StoneElfman attempted to “spruce up his dubious reputation by destroying Nomi’s credibility” with “appalling lies” that branded her a “liar, a marriage destroyer, and a blackmailer.”

“The Defamation Act provides a remedy for those individuals who can no longer succeed in the marketplace because of miserable lies about their integrity,” their lawyers wrote in the complaint, which was obtained by Billboard“It would be difficult to find anyone more deserving of such a remedy than plaintiff Nomi Abadi.”

A representative for Elfman did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday (July 11).

Last years Rolling Stone The article reported that Elfman and Abadi reached a previously undisclosed $830,000 settlement in 2018 to resolve their allegations. It also reported that Abadi had recently sued Elfman for breach of contract, allegedly failing to make payments from the earlier settlement.

The article detailed Abadi’s allegations against Elfman. In a police report cited in the story, she claimed that Elfman exposed himself and masturbated in front of her without her consent on multiple occasions over the course of nearly a year. In a particularly graphic allegation from the police report, Elfman allegedly gave her a martini glass that Abadi claimed was filled with semen, according to Elfman.

Elfman — a prolific film composer who has written more than 100 film scores and the famous intro to The simpsons – responded in the article with a lengthy statement, calling the allegations “vicious and completely false” and describing Abadi as someone who had “a crush on him since childhood” and planned to “destroy my marriage and replace my wife.” Elfman said when he tried to distance himself from her, “she made it clear that I would pay for turning her down.”

After Abadi’s new case, these statements to Rolling Stone were clearly defamatory and falsely portrayed her as “a spurned woman seeking revenge and money.”

“In doing so, Elfman and his agents have destroyed Nomi’s career ambitions, necessitating the initiation of these proceedings,” her lawyers wrote. “By publicly branding Nomi a liar and a failed seductress who lied about him out of revenge and greed, Elfman and his representatives have defamed Nomi.”

Rolling Stone (which belongs to the same parent company as Billboard) is neither named nor accused of wrongdoing in the lawsuit.

In addition to Elfman’s testimony, the new case also targets two other factual allegations made by an unnamed “representative of Elfman” to Rolling Stone. In one, the rep denied the martini glass allegation, claiming it was actually filled with “moisturizer” and intended as a joke. In another, the rep addressed the claim that Elfman took nude photos of Abadi, arguing it was her idea and she “disrobed almost immediately and without any encouragement.”

In her new lawsuit, Abadi said those allegations were also false and defamatory: “Nomi did not initiate the nude photography,” her lawyers wrote in their complaint. “Elfman forced her to do it. Elfman masturbated in front of Nomi, apologized to her afterward, and promised not to do it again.”

The lawsuit does not specify how much damages Abadi is seeking.