Paula Abdul Sues Nigel Lythgoe for Sexual Assault, Claims He Forced Himself on Her During 'American Idol' and 'SYTYCD'
Paula Abdul sued the ex-'American Idol' producer for alleged sexual assault in December 2023.
Dec. 29 2023, Published 11:09 p.m. ET
UPDATE — Nigel Lythgoe has denied Paula Abdul's accusations, with his rep telling RadarOnline.com, “To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement. For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear – and entirely platonic – friends and colleagues. Yesterday, however, out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.
"While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”
Paula Abdul has sued Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault, claiming the American Idol executive forced himself on her during her stints as a judge on the singing competition show as well as So You Think You Can Dance, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles court on Friday, outlining Abdul's shocking allegations.
According to the Straight Up singer, 61, the first alleged assault happened during "one of Idol's initial seasons" while they were on the road for the audition process.
In the documents obtained by TMZ, Abdul claimed Lythgoe shoved her against a wall in a hotel elevator, grabbed her breasts and genitals, and tried to stick his tongue down her throat.
The TV veteran was hit with a second lawsuit on Tuesday by two contestants from his short-lived competition show 'All American Girl.'
She said she pushed him away and ran out of the elevator and into her hotel room as soon as the doors opened. Abdul claimed she immediately called her representative to report the alleged incident but didn't pursue her accusations because she feared she'd be fired.
Abdul claimed that the second alleged assault happened in 2015 when she signed a new contract to be a judge on SYTYCD, also executive-produced by Lythgoe.
Paula Abdul sued him in December, claiming he forced himself on her twice during her stints on 'American Idol' and 'So You Think You Can Dance.'
The Opposites Attract singer claimed that the television mogul, 74, invited her to his home, claiming they'd discuss career opportunities. She said she accepted under the pretense it was a work situation.
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Abdul claimed the alleged incident was anything but professional. In the documents, the performer accused Lythgoe of forcing himself on top of her as she sat on his couch and, again, allegedly tried kissing her. She claimed he told her they'd make an "excellent power couple" before she pushed him off of her, said she wasn't interested, and beelined it out of his house.
Paula Abdul was the first to come forward with accusations against Lythgoe, filing a lawsuit against him in December 2023.
Another haunting accusation is that Abdul alleged Lythgoe called her at some point after the alleged incidents and "taunted" her by saying they should celebrate because it had been "7 years and the statute of limitations had run."
The Forever Your Girl singer alleged she was a victim of harassment and discrimination during her time on American Idol — so she's suing Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment, and FremantleMedia North America for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, and negligence.
All three lawsuits fall under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which waives the statute of limitations on some sexual misconduct allegations.
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But Abdul doesn't claim to be Lythgoe's only alleged victim. She also claimed to have witnessed him groping one of her assistants in 2015 during her SYTYCD judging stint.
Abdul's lawsuit falls under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which waives the statute of limitations on some sexual misconduct allegations.
RadarOnline.com has contacted Lythgoe's rep for comment.
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