A judge Wednesday granted film and television composer Danny Elfman’s motion to order a woman to arbitrate rather than litigate her claims he breached the terms of a sexual harassment settlement agreement and owes $85,000.
Pianist Nomi Abadi, 35, sued in Los Angeles Superior Court on July 19 and states that she met the 70-year-old Elfman in 2015 and that in 2018 they agreed to settle the sexual harassment allegations with Elfman making payments in four categories in various installments over five years totaling $830,000, but that Elfman failed to pay two $42,500 installments in July 2019 and 2021.
However, the agreement upon which Abadi’s contract claim is based includes an arbitration provision requiring that if a dispute arises relating to the enforcement or interpretation of the earlier settlement agreement, both sides would arbitrate their differences, according to court papers previously filed by Elfman’s attorneys with Judge Maurice A. Leiter, who ruled in favor of Elfman on Wednesday.
“Because the complaint seeks monetary relief for breach of the settlement agreement, it is a dispute relating to the enforcement or interpretation of this settlement agreement,” the judge wrote, adding that the parties’ disagreement is indeed governed by an arbitration clause.
In a sworn declaration to Elfman’s arbitration motion, Abadi did not address the arbitration demand, but said that under the settlement with Elfman, she is required to donate to a nonprofit organization that the IRS defines as a public charity.
She said the gift fund was created with Elfman’s help and that she has donated the payments she has received so far to the Female Composer Safety League, which she founded in 2020, and intends to give the league the money allegedly owed by Elfman.
The judge scheduled a post-arbitration status conference for July 11.