Oscar-nominated composer Danny Elfman has forcefully denied allegations of sexual abuse made against him by a woman who claims the abuse occurred between 1997 and 2002. Elfman asserts that the lawsuit was filed with malicious intent, aimed at embarrassing him and extorting settlement money.
In October, a 47-year-old woman in Maryland came forward with allegations, stating that Elfman groomed and assaulted her while she was a student at the New York Film Academy. The woman, referred to as Jane Doe in the lawsuit, sued Elfman and his company, Musica de la Muerta, in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit includes claims of sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment, and negligence. These allegations echo those made by composer Nomi Abadi in July, who accused Elfman of failing to pay part of a settlement reached in 2018 to resolve a similar case.
Elfman responded to the allegations on Monday by vehemently denying committing any sexual abuse or making inappropriate advances towards his accuser. His lawyer, Camille Vasquez, also accused the plaintiff and her attorneys of engaging in a disinformation campaign, providing the media with a copy of the complaint before it was officially filed with the court.
It is not uncommon for lawyers representing accused individuals in sexual assault cases to claim that their clients were approached in advance in an attempt to extort money. Marty Singer, who represented Bill Cosby in a lawsuit from Judy Huth, made a similar argument in Cosby’s defense.
The complaint brought against Elfman by his accuser alleges that the composer exposed his genitals by walking around nude in front of her after removing all of his clothing. The plaintiff further claimed that Elfman told her in 2002 that he would masturbate next to her every time they slept in the same vicinity.
In response, Elfman’s filing argued that even if the alleged conduct were true, it would not constitute sexual assault. The composer maintained that the plaintiff was an adult at the time of the incidents and that the complaint did not allege any unlawful or inappropriate touching by Elfman because no such incidents occurred.
Michael Reck, another lawyer representing Elfman, has not yet responded to requests for comment from The Hollywood Reporter.
Despite the ongoing controversy, Elfman recently appeared at The Hollywood Bowl in October as part of Disney’s “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert.”
The full details of the filed complaint can be viewed in the embedded Scribd document above.