Danny Elfman Sued for Defamation by Composer Nomi Abadi After She Previously Accused Him of Sexual Harassment

Abadi’s legal team filed the lawsuit after Elfman denied her previous misconduct claims, which came to light last year

Danny Elfman, film composer and Oingo Boingo founder, has been sued for defamation by fellow composer Nomi Abadi over statements he gave to Rolling Stone last year in denial of her past sexual harassment claims against him, according to documents obtained by PEOPLE.

Abadi alleged that she faced sexual misconduct at the hands of Elfman on multiple occasions in 2016, the outlet previously reported. She claimed he masturbated in front of her more than once, photographed her naked in a Paris hotel and presented her with a martini glass that he said was filled with semen, per the outlet.

They later entered an $830,000 settlement, and Abadi filed a breach of contract lawsuit last year featuring claims that Elfman failed to deliver multiple payments, according to Rolling Stone. Since then, the outlet reported, her legal team has been unsuccessful in multiple attempts to find a date with Elfman’s lawyers for arbitration.

Elfman denied all the accusations and told the publication Abadi asked for the photoshoot. In the new lawsuit, her legal team alleges the Nightmare Before Christmas musician’s statements “were not merely false and unconscionable, but defamatory.”

“Defendant Danny 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,” reads the suit. “Why? As part of a harebrained ‘zero sum’ scheme by Elfman to prop up his checkered reputation by destroying Nomi’s credibility.”

Lawyers for Elfman did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. Abadi’s legal team had no additional comment.

In a statement to Rolling Stone responding to Abadi’s allegations of misconduct last year, Elfman said, “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. I allowed an ill-advised friendship to have far-reaching consequences, and that error in judgment is entirely my fault.”

According to the new lawsuit, Abadi claims Elfman’s denials were defamatory and wrongly paint her as “a failed temptress who lied about him for reasons of revenge and greed.” She additionally alleges that he “coerced” her into the nude photoshoot, during which he attempted to engage in sexual acts, leaving her feeling “terrified” and “frozen.”

Abadi’s suit also alleges Elfman’s comments to Rolling Stone denying the martini glass incident were defamatory. She claims he presented her with the semen-filled glass at his studio kitchen as she “sat in silence, terrified, gagging from the putrid smell coming from the glass of off-white substance, which was semen ejaculate.”

“Elfman lied about Nomi, branding her as a scorned woman attempting to break up his marriage, and as someone who initiated nude photography. Elfman’s defamations accuse Nomi as engaging in sexual misconduct or unchastity,” reads the suit.
As a result of Abadi’s alleged experiences, according to the documents, she’s “suffered significant emotional distress, including anxiety, depression, complex PTSD, bodily harm from stress, retraumatization, nervousness, fear for her personal safety, humiliation, and harm to her professional reputation and her occupation as a composer, musician, and educator.”

Her lawsuit features a demand for jury trial, and she’s seeking unspecified and to-be-determined monetary and punitive damages.
Elfman was previously sued last year by a Jane Doe over claims of sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and more, which he’s also denied.