Why did Nomi Abadi sue Danny Elfman? Corpse Bride composer loses bid to dismiss defamation lawsuit over a secret s*xual harassment settlement

Composer and pianist Nomi Abadi filed a defamation lawsuit against musician and composer Danny Elfman last year regarding his statements to Rolling Stone in 2023 about a quiet s*xual harassment settlement.

In his statement, Elfman denied the s*xual harassment allegations made by Abadi and claimed that she had made romantic advances toward him and "retaliated against him after he spurned her advances."

Recently, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gail Killefer ruled that Abadi's lawsuit would not be dismissed. Elfman had attempted to dismiss it by claiming that his Rolling Stone statement fell under free speech protections and that he would sue the publication for defamation.

Elfman's attorney, Camille Vasquez, known for representing Johnny Depp in his legal battle with Amber Heard, told Variety:

"We respectfully disagree with the court’s ruling and are optimistic that the Court of Appeal will agree with us that this case ought to be dismissed."

Meanwhile, Abdi's attorney, Eric George, who represented Amber Heard in her legal battle against Johnny Depp, did not comment.

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What happened between Danny Elfman and Nomi Abadi?

Danny Elfman (Image via Getty)

An investigation by Rolling Stone in 2023 revealed Danny Elfman, famous for composing for The Night Before Christmas, Batman, Beetlejuice, and Corpse Bride, was accused of s*xual harassment by Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Nomi Abadi in 2018.

As reported by Rolling Stone, Danny Elfman made Abadi sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) and agreed to pay her $830,000 if she did not disclose the allegations publicly. In his statement, Elfman denied the allegations.

According to Abadi, Elfman allegedly s*xually harassed her between 2015 and 2017. He reportedly took inappropriate pictures of her, exposed himself, and masturbated in front of her.

In 2023, Danny made his statement to Rolling Stone, claiming his relationship with Abadi was "platonic." He accused her of trying to break up his marriage.

"Ms. Abadi’s allegations are simply not true. I allowed someone to get close to me without knowing that I was her ‘childhood crush’ and that her intention was to break up my marriage and replace my wife. When this person realized that I wanted distance from her, she made it clear that I would pay for having rejected her."

He continued:

"I allowed an ill-advised friendship to have far-reaching consequences, and that error in judgment is entirely my fault. I have done nothing indecent or wrong, and my lawyers stand ready to prove with voluminous evidence that these accusations are false. This is the last I will say on this subject."

Danny Elfman also expressed his desire not to have his 50-year-long legacy tarnished by Abadi's allegations.

"How do I respond to accusations so serious that being innocent is not a valid defense? It is excruciating to consider that a 50-year career may be destroyed in one news cycle as a result of vicious and wholly false allegations about s*xual misconduct."

In 2023, another woman sued Danny Elfman for alleged s*xual misconduct. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, claimed the composer s*xually harassed her between 1997 and 2002.

The woman alleged they met at a house party when she was 21 years old and he was 47 years old. She claimed he reportedly exposed himself and masturbated when she stayed at his home in Topanga Canyon in 1998.

Danny Elfman denied the allegations, calling them "baseless and absurd."