Note: This article contains descriptions of alleged sexual misconduct.
Danny Elfman is being sued by a woman for alleged sexual misconduct, The Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone report. In a filing submitted Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, a 47-year-old Maryland woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe XX sued Elfman for sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment and negligence. She also named Elfman’s company, Musica de la Muerta, in the suit.
In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged that Elfman sexually abused her between 1997 and 2002, after they met at a house party when Doe was 21 and Elfman was 47. Doe claims that Elfman would expose his genitalia to her while walking around nude, allegedly expressing to her “that his was the only way he could work, be creative, and successful.” The lawsuit also claims that Elfman would sometimes sleep naked in the same bed next to a fully-clothed Doe during a period in 1998 where she stayed at his home in Topanga Canyon, California while seeking an apartment in Los Angeles. Per THR, the plaintiff alleges that after the fact, in 2002, Elfman told her: “Every time you have ever slept next to me, I would masturbate next to you.”
Elfman called the allegations in the lawsuit “baseless and absurd” in a statement made to Pitchfork through a spokesperson, concluding: “His legal team is assessing all options and he will vigorously defend these claims in court.” In a statement to RS, Doe’s attorney Jeff Anderson said she hopes to send a message to individuals who have “made efforts to destroy the lives of others who found the courage to speak up.”
Doe is the second woman to come forward with claims of misconduct against Elfman this year. In July, the musician and composer Nomi Abadi sued Elfman for allegedly failing to make two payments of $42,500 from a $830,000 settlement. According to reporting from Rolling Stone, the settlement was reached as a result of Abadi accusing Elfman of multiple instances of sexual harassment. Anderson, who is representing both Abadi and Doe, told RS: “It’s important to this Jane Doe that Nomi knows she’s not alone anymore, that what was done to her by Elfman mirrors in so many ways what was done to Nomi.” Elfman denied the allegations to Rolling Stone through his attorney.
If you or someone you know has been affected by sexual assault, we encourage you to reach out for support:
RAINN National Sexual Assault Hotline
http://www.rainn.org
1 800 656 HOPE (4673)
Crisis Text Line
SMS: Text “HELLO” or “HOLA” to 741-741