Paula Abdul has filed a lawsuit against former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe in Los Angeles. The lawsuit alleges that Lythgoe sexually assaulted Abdul on multiple occasions, with the initial incident allegedly taking place during one of Idol’s early seasons while the crew was traveling for auditions. A similar incident is said to have occurred in 2014 when both Abdul and Lythgoe were judges on So You Think You Can Dance.
The legal documents also claim that Lythgoe verbally insulted and belittled Abdul during their years working together. The details surrounding the alleged assaults describe an incident in which Lythgoe shoved Abdul against a wall, grabbed her genitals and breasts, and attempted to tongue-kiss her in an elevator at their hotel. Abdul pushed Lythgoe away and ran to her room, but kept the incident quiet at the time out of fear of retaliation.
In another alleged assault, Abdul claims that at Lythgoe’s house, he forced himself on top of her and tried to convince her that they would make a great “power couple.” Abdul is suing Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment, and FremantleMedia North America for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, and negligence.
Nigel Lythgoe was a producer for American Idol during its peak popularity in the 2000s and was also listed as a producer for So You Think You Can Dance from 2005 to 2014. Aside from her singing career, Abdul was one of the original judges on American Idol and has appeared on various other talent-based shows. Neither Abdul nor Lythgoe has commented directly on the lawsuit or the accusations.