Photo: Jerod Harris / Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images
LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Film and television composer Danny Elfman wants a judge 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 alleges in her Los Angeles Superior Court breach-of- contract lawsuit that Elfman has failed to fully pay the agreed-upon $830,000 when they both signed the settlement agreement five years ago.
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 filed Tuesday by Elfman's attorneys with Judge Maurice A. Leiter.
"Accordingly, this dispute can only be validly resolved through the arbitration process agreed upon by the parties," Elfman's lawyers' court papers state.
Abadi, looking for a reason to file a lawsuit instead of submitting to arbitration, included in her complaint a demand for injunctive relief for a recovery of the $85,000 allegedly owed, but the request for such a court order is "frivolous," according to Elfman's attorneys' court papers.
The woman's suit was filed July 19 and states that Abadi, 35, met the 70-year-old Elfman in 2015 and that in 2018 they agreed to settle the sexual harassment allegations with Elfman making make payments in four different 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.
A hearing on Elfman's motion to compel arbitration is scheduled Dec. 13.