Court Denies Danny Elfman's Motion to Dismiss Nomi Abadi Defamation Lawsuit
Danny Elfman has lost his bid to dismiss a defamation lawsuit brought by composer Nomi Abadi regarding statements he made to Rolling Stone in 2023. The statements were related to a secret sexual harassment settlement involving a former protégé.
Danny Elfman close-up portrait
Photo Credit: Sachyn / CC by 3.0
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Gail Killefer rejected Elfman's attempt to have the case dismissed. Elfman had claimed his comments were protected free speech and covered by litigation privilege, as they were allegedly made in anticipation of suing Rolling Stone - a lawsuit that never materialized.
Key points of the case:
- Abadi filed the lawsuit in July 2023, claiming Elfman defamed her by making false statements to Rolling Stone
- The dispute stems from a previous non-public settlement and nondisclosure agreement between Elfman and Abadi
- Abadi had accused Elfman of multiple instances of sexual misconduct between 2015 and 2016
- She later sued Elfman for failing to pay the full settlement amount of $830,000
- Elfman has denied all allegations against him
Elfman's attorney, Camille Vasquez (known for representing Johnny Depp), stated they plan to appeal the judge's decision, saying, "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."
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