Danny Elfman Sued for Defamation by Harassment Accuser Nomi Abadi

Composer Nomi Abadi is suing “Batman” and “Beetlejuice” composer Danny Elfman for defamation stemming from statements he made to Rolling Stone last year that were included in an investigative piece about a settlement he made with his one-time protégé after she accused him of repeated sexual harassment and misconduct.

Abadi’s lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges that Elfman “peddled appalling lies for publication to Rolling Stone about Nomi.” The list of alleged lies covers statements made by the “Simpsons” composer and his representatives that claimed he did not engage in sexual misconduct toward Abadi, never masturbated in front of her, never touched her inappropriately and “never placed his bodily fluids in a martini glass he presented to Nomi,” as she alleged. The complaint also slammed Elfman and his team for depicting Abadi as “a scorned woman seeking revenge and money to make Elfman “pay for having rejected her.” Abadi asserts that Elfman suggested that she “invited Elfman’s misconduct, including by requesting that he take nude pictures of her.” As a result, “Nomi’s career ambitions [were left] in tatters.”

The complaint, obtained by Variety, marks the latest salvo fired by Abadi, a classically trained pianist and on-the-rise composer, against Elfman, a prolific composer working in film and television and a founder of the pioneering New Wave band Oingo Boingo. Attorney Eric George, who represented Amber Heard in the early stages of her legal battles with ex-husband Johnny Depp, filed the suit on behalf of Abadi. George and Abadi declined comment.

Elfman is represented by Camille Vasquez, who made a name for herself by helping client Depp largely prevail over Heard in a televised 2022 Virginia trial. Representatives for Elfman did not respond immediately to a request for comment.

Elfman’s statements were part of a Rolling Stone story that published in…