Danny Elfman Responds to Sexual Misconduct Allegations in Lawsuit as ‘Baseless and Absurd’ – Update

TO UPDATE: A spokesman for Danny Elfman responded to the allegations against him on Thursday.

“The allegations of misconduct against Mr. Elfman is baseless and absurd. His legal team is exploring all options and he will vigorously defend these claims in court.”

EARLIER: Oscar-nominated and Grammy-winning composer Danny Elfman has been widely accused of sexual misconduct by another woman, who claims he was often naked in her presence and allegedly masturbated while she slept next to him.

Documents filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court show the defendant was 21 when she met Elfman, 47, in New York. She is referred to as “Jane Doe” in the lawsuits.

The lawsuit names Elfman and his company Musica de la Muerta and alleges that he committed sexual assault, gender-based violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment and negligence against them between 1997 and 2002.

Read the complaint here.

The accuser allegedly met Elfman in April 1997 at a party. They became friends and she accepted his frequent invitations to industry events, forming a relationship that she hoped would boost her own music career. Elfman sought her opinion on movies and music and treated her as an “advisor and protégé,” court documents state.

The relationship took a turn one night in a hotel room when Elfman reportedly “stripped off all his clothes until he was completely naked and walked around naked in front of the accuser, exposing his genitals.” Defendant Elfman told plaintiff that this is the only way to work, to be creative and to be successful.”

Plaintiff continued to see him, repeated the nude walks, and claimed that he had slept in the same bed dozens of times while he was naked and she was fully clothed and lying on the sheets. Eventually, Elfman allegedly told her that he had masturbated during these sessions. Frantically, she finally stopped watching him.

Elfman was previously sued by composer Nomi Abadi, who sued Elfman in July for failing to pay a settlement reached in 2018. Abadi’s July filing alleges Elfman failed to pay $85,000 of an $830,000 severance payment.

Rolling Stone reported that the 2018 lawsuit alleged that Elfman repeatedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of Abadi without her consent. Elfman eventually entered into a settlement and confidentiality agreement with Abadi. In the Rolling Stone article, Elfman denied that he sexually harassed Abadi and released a statement saying, “Mrs. Abadi’s allegations are simply not true.”

Elfman was the leader of the new wave group Oingo Boingo, which achieved its greatest success in the 1980s. He worked with Tim Burton on the films Batman And Edward with the scissor handsand with Sam Raimi spider man And Doctor Strange in the multiverse of madness. For this he received Oscar nominations Men in black, hunting for good will, big fish And Milk.

Elfman will be part of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas in Concert” at the Hollywood Bowl October 27-29.

deadline has reached out to Elfman representatives for comment.