Paula Abdul Files Lawsuit Alleging Sexual Assault by “American Idol” Producer
Paula Abdul, former judge of reality show competitions “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” has filed a lawsuit alleging that she was sexually assaulted by Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of both shows.
In the lawsuit filed on Friday, Abdul claims that she was twice assaulted by Lythgoe. The first incident allegedly occurred during an early season of “American Idol” when Lythgoe assaulted her in an elevator, shoving her against a wall, groping her breasts and genitals, and forcefully kissing her. Years later, while a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Lythgoe allegedly invited Abdul to his home for dinner and attempted to force himself on her.
Abdul also accuses Lythgoe of verbal harassment and bullying, as well as pay discrimination. The lawsuit further alleges that the show was edited in a misleading way to make Abdul appear inept compared to her male counterparts.
Additionally, Abdul claims she witnessed Lythgoe sexually assaulting one of her assistants in 2015.
The lawsuit states that Abdul remained silent about the assaults for years due to fear of speaking out against a powerful industry figure.
Abdul’s suit was filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which created a one-year window to file certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations.
She has also sued 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, American Idol Productions, and Dance Nation Productions, alleging that the companies failed to discipline Lythgoe and protected him from accountability.
This is a developing story and we will provide further updates as they become available.