Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance executive producer Nigel Lythgoe of “multiple” sexual assaults.
In the legal documents obtained by Rolling Stone, Abdul alleges the first assault occurred during one of the show’s “initial seasons” while the judges traveled around the country for regional auditions.
“One evening, following the day’s auditions, Lythgoe and Abdul entered the elevator of the hotel where they were staying. Upon entering the elevator, Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the complaint says. “Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her and let him know that his behavior was not acceptable. When the doors to the elevator for her floor opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator to her hotel room.”
Also Read: Jermaine Jackson Accused of Sexual Assault and Battery in Lawsuit
According to the lawsuit, the dancer, singer, and choreographer contacted her reps and told them what happened, but she decided not to go public with her allegations out of fear of losing her job. Abdul, now 61, also says she was paid less than the show’s male judges and subjected to taunts and bullying behind the scenes of the show.
Lythgoe,74, later responded in a statement to TMZ, saying the allegations are untrue.
“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,” he said. “I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for. … 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.”
American Idol premiered in 2002, and Abdul was one of the original judges. She left the show in 2009 after eight seasons.
Abdul joined So You Think You Can Dance as a judge in 2015. Lythgoe co-created the dance competition series.
The suit says the “Straight Up” singer agreed to meet with Lythgoe for dinner at his home around that time, for what she thought was a “professional invitation.”
Instead, the suit alleges “Lythgoe forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent ‘power couple.'”
The complaint adds, “Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances and immediately left.”
Abdul also alleges she witnessed Lythgoe assault one of her female assistants named April. The suit says Lythgoe “pressed himself up against April and began to grope her. April did not consent.”
In addition to U.K. native Lythgoe, the suit names production companies American Idol Productions, Dance Nation Productions, 19 Entertainment and Fremantlemedia North America as defendants.
Abdul alleges sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence. She is seeking unspecified damages.
The suit says Abdul signed agreements for both shows that “prohibited” her from “disclosing sensitive information” about the productions.
She filed the lawsuit under California’s “Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act.” The law allows victims to recover damages suffered as a result of a sexual assault that occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2009. The law went into effect Jan. 1, 2023 and expires on Dec. 31, 2026.
Vin Diesel and Jermaine Jackson have also been sued under the law.
