Nigel Lythgoe Calls Out Paula Abdul's 'Erratic Behavior' and Alleged Drug Use as He Denies Sexual Assault Claims
Nigel Lythgoe is fighting back against Paula Abdul's lawsuit.
March 5 2024, Published 3:08 p.m. ET
Nigel Lythgoe is fighting back against Paula Abdul's lawsuit, claiming his treasure trove of her private emails, plus her "erratic behavior" and alleged drug use, discredit her character and prove he did not sexually assault her.
In his response obtained by RadarOnline.com, Lythgoe accused his former colleague on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance of being a "well-documented fabulist, with a long history of telling wild stories that are untethered from reality and are primarily designed to attract attention and make Abdul appear to be the victim of dreadful misfortune."
The television mogul claimed he "championed" her being hired on Idol and SYTYCD despite "being told that Abdul is 'an absolute no' because she 'is nuts' and 'crazy,' by other producers and industry."
Lythgoe alleged that during Season One of Idol auditions in Atlanta, "Abdul's behavior was so erratic and unpredictable that she was asked whether it was good for her health to continue on with the show." He claimed, "There were ongoing discussions about Abdul's substance abuse issues and behavior among executives" during this time.
Paula sued Nigel in December 2023, claiming he assaulted her on two occasions.
"At her very best, Abdul's behavior on American Idol has been described as 'weird,' 'wacky,' 'bizarre,' and 'unpredictable.' At her worst, Abdul was slurring her speech, unintelligible, drooling and passing out in audition rooms, having to be carried out on two separate occasions," his response filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday read.
"Abdul has repeatedly denied being addicted to drugs," the docs stated. "However, in June, 2009, Abdul revealed to Ladies Home Journal that she had abused heavy-duty pain killers, a habit that left her close to death and in a rehabilitation facility. Abdul has also revealed that she wore a patch that delivered a dose of medication 80 times more powerful than morphine, took a nerve medication to relieve her symptoms and occasionally used muscle relaxants."
Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit against Nigel in December 2023.
Lythgoe said Abdul often "blamed editing," which she "alleged was done to make her look worse than she was." He claimed she had a history of blaming producers, citing her "short-lived show Hey Paula," in which she allegedly claimed the team was "plotting, scheming, and editing" when her bizarre behavior was caught on camera.
He said her "credibility has been called into question on a serious issue," in which he cited her alleged 1992 plane crash.
"There are no records whatsoever of the supposed plane crash. In one interview Abdul explained that she was able to keep the story under wraps with NDAs and because 'there was no internet at the time.' In another interview, she explained that at the time of the crash, there were 'no computers,'" he charged.
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Nigel denies Paula's claims against him, including loving emails she sent him during and after the alleged abuse.
Lythgoe included pages of emails, messages, and tweets to him from Paula during the time of the alleged abuse. He said the private correspondence shows "how Abdul really felt about Lythgoe during and after the time she now alleges abuse occurred."
A September 12, 2014 email read in part, "Hi sweetheart -- thank you for this lovely 'gift.' Please forgive me for not calling yesterday. Forever grateful to have you in my life! Love, love LOVE YOU! XO P."
Abdul accused Lythgoe of "victim shaming" her, claiming he "cherry picked" emails of their private conversations to "discredit her claims."
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Another June 20, 2014 read, "Thank you for the beautiful flowers -- they were exquisite! But, I have to say the kicker was the birthday card last night. I am still howling! I truly appreciate our friendship and am looking forward to launching our project."
Lythgoe is demanding Abdul's lawsuit be dismissed — and he wants her on the hook for his attorney fees.
RadarOnline.com has reached out to Abdul's team for comment.
As this outlet reported, Abdul sued Lythgoe in December 2023, accusing him of sexual assault on two separate occasions while filming Idol and SYTYCD. He denied the claims, calling them "false" and "deeply offensive" while vowing to fight her accusations.
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