As Johnny Depp and Amber Heard fought it out in court, attention on them grew, and through that, their lawyers became quite well known. Specifically, Depp’s attorney Camille Vasquez became quite famous because of the trial. Now, she’s squaring off against Amber Heard’s ex-lawyer in Danny Elfman’s public denial of sexual misconduct defamation case, which is big news considering how highly publicized the Depp vs. Heard case was in 2022.
For context, Danny Elfman’s former protégé, Nomi Abadi filed a defamation lawsuit against him. This is because of statements that came out of a Rolling Stone article last year regarding a settlement he made with her after she accused him of sexual misconduct and harassment, Variety reported.
Camille Vasquez is representing Danny Elfman – the composer known for working Wednesday, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Simpsons, and lots of Tim Burton’s movies – in this case.
This is coming about a year after she won the defamation trial with Depp between him and Heard, which rewarded the Pirates of the Caribbean actor $10 million in compensatory damage and $5 million in punitive damage. Notably, Heard was also awarded $2 million in compensatory damage.
Meanwhile, Eric George is representing Nomi Abadi in this case, and he filed the lawsuit for her. He represented Amber Heard during the early days of the legal battle with Depp before the trial began. This lawyer, per NBC News, testified in the Heard vs. Depp case, noting that the actress followed his legal advice “to avoid any lawsuits from a 2018 op-ed she penned for the Washington Post."
The lawsuit against Elfman was filed on Wednesday, July 10, in Los Angeles. Abadi’s suit alleges that the composer “peddled appalling lies for publication to Rolling Stone” about her. He maintains that he didn't engage in sexual misconduct, didn’t masturbate in front of her, and he never allegedly “touched her inappropriately and "never placed his bodily fluids in a martini glass he presented to Nomi," as alleged.
Of the claims noted in the lawsuit, one that has caught many’s attention is the one that alleges that “Elfman’s reps falsely denied that he put his semen in a martini glass and falsely claimed that Abadi knew that it was not semen.” In the Rolling Stone story, it’s claimed that Cetaphil was in the glass and that she knew it was “a stupid photo prop.”
Abadi’s team also slammed Elfman as they believed his claims made her look like “a scorned woman seeking revenge and money.” They also denounced the notion that she “invited Elfman’s misconduct, including by requesting that he take nude pictures of her.”
All of this, and more, has led to this defamation lawsuit, as they believe “Nomi’s career ambitions [were left] in tatters.” It also marks the second suit Abadi has filed against Elfman.
There’s also another accusation against Elfman from Jane Doe XX, which states that the composer allegedly “exposed himself to her frequently” during meetings they had between 1997 and 2002. According to his lawyer, these claims are “baseless and absurd.”
This stands to be a high-profile case, so, it’s not surprising that high-profile lawyers were hired by the two parties involved. As we learn more about major developments regarding this suit, we’ll keep you posted.
