A legal dispute involving musician Danny Elfman and pianist Nomi Abadi is heating up in Los Angeles, as Abadi's attorneys contest Elfman's attempt to move her defamation lawsuit into arbitration. Elfman's legal team is asking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge William E. Weinberger to send the remaining parts of Abadi's suit to arbitration, but her attorneys contend that Elfman's request comes too late.
Abadi's lawyers filed court papers on Monday, ahead of an Oct. 23 hearing, asking Judge Weinberger to reject Elfman's motion. They argue that Elfman has not mentioned arbitration for more than two years since the defamation case was filed. Instead, they state, he "substantially invoked the litigation machinery of this court to seek decisions on the merits."
The defamation lawsuit centers on remarks Elfman made during a July 2023 interview with Rolling Stone. The interview included Elfman's denials of Abadi's allegations of repeated sexual harassment and misconduct, which were part of an investigative piece detailing a settlement Elfman had previously made with his former mentee.
Abadi's attorneys argue that her defamation claim falls outside the limited scope of the arbitration clause in the 2018 settlement agreement between the parties. They state that the agreement's arbitration provision applies only to disputes related to the interpretation or enforcement of that specific accord, not to independent legal actions like defamation. They further highlight that Elfman himself has acknowledged the arbitration provision is "narrow" and suggest he would gain an unfair strategic advantage by now arguing a position that contradicts his earlier stance on the matter.
On the other side, Elfman's attorneys argue that the arbitration provision does, in fact, include Abadi's defamation claim. They have asked the court to compel the action to arbitration, stating that the parties "can and should resolve their disputes in a single, unified proceeding, without needless duplication of time, money, and effort." As an alternative, Elfman's lawyers propose that Judge Weinberger refer the defamation case to an arbitrator for a decision and pause the court action until the entire matter is resolved through arbitration.
This isn't the only legal battle between the two musicians. Elfman and Abadi are already anticipating arbitration for claims in a separate lawsuit. In that contract case, Abadi alleges that the 73-year-old film and television composer breached the terms of a sexual harassment settlement agreement and owes her $85,000. Abadi's attorneys have informed Judge Karine Mkrtchyan, who is managing the contract case, that arbitration for that matter is scheduled before retired federal Judge Carla Woehrle from March 9-12, 2027.
Elfman's legal team, which includes attorney Camille M. Vasquez—known for her representation of Johnny Depp—has also presented a different narrative in their court papers. They claim that Abadi "made up a story that he had 'behaved inappropriately around her'" after her "romantic aspirations were dashed."
Earlier in the defamation case, then-Judge Gail Killefer rejected Elfman's anti-SLAPP motion on Christmas Eve 2024. Elfman's motion cited litigation privilege under California's anti-SLAPP law, which aims to protect First Amendment rights from strategic lawsuits meant to intimidate. However, a three-justice panel of the Second District Court of Appeal partially overturned Killefer’s ruling on May 27. Following this, Elfman's attorneys filed papers in September requesting Abadi be ordered to arbitrate her defamation allegation, leading to the current dispute over where the case should be heard next.
