Nigel Lythgoe, the former executive producer of Paula Abdul’s American Idol, is the subject of a lawsuit in which she alleges that he sexually assaulted her while they were colleagues.
The documents were filed in a Los Angeles court on December 29 by the singer-choreographer, who served as a judge on the singing competition show from its inception in 2002 until 2009. The suit was initiated under the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which permits the prosecution of civil assault cases even after the statute of limitations has expired. The act’s filing deadline is December 31.
Abdul, 61, provides information in her filing, which was acquired by E! News, regarding two purported incidents of sexual assault perpetrated by Lythgoe, 74. According to reports, the first incident transpired during an early season of American Idol, when Abdul and Lythgoe were traveling for regional auditions. The statement claims that the producer inappropriately touched and kissed the vocalist in the hotel elevator where they were confined.
Abdul asserts that she made an effort to dissuade him and convey her disapproval of his conduct. She subsequently fled and reported the incident to one of her representatives, but “finally chose not to act for fear that Lythgoe would have her terminated from American Idol.”
Abdul’s lawsuit further asserts that Lythgoe subjected her to a second instance of sexual assault several years later, approximately during her tenure as a co-judges on the reality dance competition series So You Think You Can Dance, which he also co-created.
In her filing, the singer, who appeared on the program in that capacity from 2015 to 2016, states that he invited her to dinner at his residence “to discuss additional opportunities for the two of us to collaborate” and that she accepted. According to Abdul’s account, Lythgoe forcibly positioned himself on top of her while she was seated on his sofa at the end of the evening and “attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent ‘power couple.'”
