Danny Elfman has lost his bid to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought on him last year for comments he made to Rolling Stone in 2023 regarding a quiet sexual harassment settlement.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gail Killefer ruled composer Nomi Abadi’s defamation suit could continue despite Elfman’s attempts otherwise. “The Simpsons” and “Batman” composer tried to get the suit tossed by stating his 2023 comments to the publication had free speech and litigation privilege protections ahead of his plans to sue “Rolling Stone” himself for defamation.
The March 2023 letter did not state it was a ‘demand letter,’ nor does such an indication appear on the face of the letter,” Killefer said. “The substance of the letter appears to be Defendant Elfman’s response to Rolling Stone’s request for comment regarding Plaintiff’s breach of contract suit and prior lawsuit by Plaintiff regarding sexual misconduct allegations.”
Killefer continued, “Elfman’s March 2023 letter functions more as a press release rather than a demand letter.”
Abadi’s defamation suit came back in July 2024 and alleged Elfman “peddled appalling lies for publication to Rolling Stone about Nomi, who had previously in an earlier lawsuit truthfully relayed facts corroborating his penchant to sexually abuse women.” Elfman’s 2023 comments to Rolling Stone came in response to an article about his secret settlement with Abadi to the tune of $830,000 and an NDA – which Abadi also sued Elfman for failing to make a payment on.
The alleged lies Elfman responded to included there being no sexual misconduct toward Abadi, that he “never masturbated in front of her,” that he “never inappropriately touched her,” and that he “never placed his bodily fluids in a martini glass he presented to Nomi.”
Abadi’s initial suit against Elfman was filed in 2018 and accused him of more than one instance of sexual harassment in 2015 and 2016. Despite initially denying the accusations, the two quietly settled for the aforementioned $830,000.
Elfman’s most recent composing credit is 2024 sequel “Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice.”