Get the latest gossip

Danny Elfman Must Face Libel Lawsuit Over Harassment ‘Press Release,’ Judge Says

Danny Elfman must face his sexual harassment accuser's defamation lawsuit over statements he made to the media defending himself.

The ruling came in a case filed last year by former friend and fellow composer Nomi Abadi, who claims that Elfman defamed her when he issued a strongly-worded statement to Rolling Stone denying her accusations that he had exposed himself and masturbated in front of her. Elfman had argued that he couldn’t be sued because his comments were made in the course of litigation — a form of legal “privilege” designed to ensure that the adversarial American court system can function properly without fear of defamation lawsuits. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles court, she claimed that his media statement had falsely tarred her as an “extortionist” and as a “scorned woman seeking revenge and money,” leaving her career as a composer “in tatters.”

Get the Android app