Paula Abdul has sued “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” executive producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault, Fox News Digital confirmed on Saturday.
In a lawsuit filed on Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court, the 61-year-old singer Paula Abdul alleged that Nigel Lythgoe, 74, sexually assaulted her twice during her tenures as a judge on reality competition shows. The complaint, obtained by Fox News Digital, outlines the allegations.
Lythgoe responded to the allegations, stating, “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.”
Nigel Lythgoe continued his response to the allegations, stating, “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.”
In response to Paula Abdul’s allegations, Nigel Lythgoe commented, “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.”
According to the lawsuit, Abdul claimed that the first alleged sexual assault occurred in an elevator during one of the “initial seasons” of “American Idol.” The court documents detailed the incident, stating that Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, grabbed her genitals and breasts, and forcibly kissed her. Abdul attempted to resist, and upon the elevator doors opening, she ran to her hotel room, where she promptly informed one of her representatives about the assault. Paula Abdul has sued
Paula Abdul was a part of “American Idol’s” original judges’ panel from 2002 to 2009, alongside Simon Cowell and Randy Jackson. Lythgoe served as the showrunner of “American Idol” from 2002 to 2008.