Award-winning composer Danny Elfman faces more claims of sexual assault from a second woman

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The award-winning film composer Danny Elfman is being sued by a second woman, over allegations that he abused his industry power to engage in appropriate sexual behaviour. 

The accusations include instances where he stripped naked in her presence and masturbated while she was asleep beside him. 

The claims follow revelations from three months ago when Elfman, who has worked extensively with director Tim Burton, on films and TV shows including Edward Scissorhands, Batman and Wednesday, faced a similar lawsuit and reached a legal settlement agreeing to pay $830,000 in compensation. 

In the prior case, brought by a young composer named Nomi Abadi, Elfman denied the allegations and was also accused of failing to fulfill his settlement payments.

The new plaintiff, who is identified as Jane Doe XX in court documents, was a 21-year-old student at the New York Film Academy with an interest in music when she first encountered the 47-year-old Elfman in 1997. 

According to her lawsuit, Elfman leveraged his industry status to manipulate her into tolerating behaviour that made her deeply uncomfortable.

Initially, she claimed, he frequently undressed in her presence and coerced her into doing the same, a request she complied with because she considered him a valuable mentor.

Over time, according to the lawsuit, Elfman began sharing a bed with her, sometimes naked next to a fully-clothed Doe, and eventually disclosed that he would masturbate while she slept, without her consent. 

Doe alleges that Elfman told her: “Every time you have ever slept next to me, I would masturbate next to you.”

Jeff Anderson, Doe's attorney, told Rolling Stone: “It’s important to this Jane Doe that Nomi knows she’s not alone anymore, that what was done to her by Elfman mirrors in so many ways what was done to Nomi.” 

Elfman denied the accusations to Rolling Stone via his attorney.