Iconic Disney And Superhero Composer Accused Of Horrific Behavior
If you love genre films, then you’re familiar with Danny Elfman: he is the composer who created the iconic music for Beetlejuice, the 1989 Batman, Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, and so many more. Fans of the famous composer were understandably shocked when it was revealed in July that a woman had sued him for sexual harassment, and while Elfman denied the accusation, he ended up paying her a $830,000 settlement in 2018. Now, Variety reports that a second woman has come forward and sued Elfman, claiming that he “harassed her during a period from 1997 to 2002 starting when she was a 21-year-old film student.”
A second woman has come forward to claim that she suffered sexual abuse at the hand of The Nightmare Before Christmas composer Danny Elfman.
According to Danny Elfman’s spokesperson, “The allegations of misconduct made against Mr. Elfman are baseless and absurd,” and the composer’s “legal team is assessing all options and he will vigorously defend these claims in court.”
Only time will tell how this matter gets resolved in court and whether it will end in a settlement as the earlier trial did. In the meantime, though, the specific allegations of the plaintiff (known only as Jane Doe XX) have the potential to cast Elfman’s reputation and even his legendary history of film composition in a new and horrifying light.
The suit claims that this behavior continued for the next five years and that Elfman allegedly insisted “this was the only way he could work, be creative and successful.”
Jane Doe XX claims that her relationship with Danny Elfman began when she was “a 21-year-old film student.” The two of them had a “mentor-protegé relationship,” and they would meet in places like New York’s Mercer Hotel. It was early in their relationship and at that hotel that she alleges Elfman “took off all his clothes and stood naked in front of the window” before coercing her to do as he did.
The suit claims that Jane Doe XX felt uncomfortable and “quickly put her clothes back on.” Allegedly, though, Danny Elfman’s pattern of behavior continued, and at their next meeting, he stripped naked and “insisted that she watch him take a bath.” The suit claims that this behavior continued for the next five years and that Elfman allegedly insisted “this was the only way he could work, be creative and successful.”
The lawsuit alleges that this behavior escalated over time and that after Jane Doe XX moved to Los Angeles, she would frequently meet with Danny Elfman at his home. On about 40 occasions, she claims that she slept in the composer’s bed above the covers with her clothes on while he slept naked under the covers.
She felt powerless to say anything because of the power differential between them, but after Elfman allegedly confessed “Every time you have ever slept next to me, I would masturbate next to you,” she permanently ended their relationship.
As these allegations continue to mount that cast the composer in a negative light, they might be enough to permanently damage the rich Hollywood legacy Elfman has spent a lifetime fostering.
Jane Doe XX claims she tried to tell “others in Elfman’s orbit, but was told there was nothing she could do because of ‘who he is.’”Empowered by the previous suit against the composer, though, she filed her own suit against Danny Elfman and his company, Musica de la Muerta, “alleging sexual assault, gender violence, intentional infliction of emotional distress, sexual harassment and negligence.”
She filed this suit via the California Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which allows her to pursue claims that would “otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations in cases where there is some form of institutional cover-up.”
Again, only time will tell whether any of these explosive allegations against Danny Elfman will be proven in a court of law, if Elfman will be proven innocent, or if the suit will result more ambiguously in an out-of-court settlement.
As the creator of so many iconic themes (Elfman even created the iconic Simpsons theme song), Elfman has become a permanent part of our pop culture DNA. As these allegations continue to mount that cast the composer in a negative light, they might be enough to permanently damage the rich Hollywood legacy Elfman has spent a lifetime fostering.
