Paula Abdul sues ‘American Idol’ executive producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault

Paula Abdul has accused Nigel Lythgoe, executive producer of “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” of sexual assault, according to a new lawsuit. In a the lawsuit filed Dec. 29, which was obtained by TODAY.com, Abdul alleged “multiple sexual assaults” and “resulting harassment” by Lythgoe and other individuals including agents, employees and executives while judging on the television shows.

Abdul’s claims include sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence. In addition to Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment Inc., FremantleMedia North America Inc., American Idol Productions and Dance Nation Productions were also listed as defendants. The lawsuit stated the while Abdul served as a judge on “American Idol” from 2002 to 2009, she “was the target of constant taunts, bullying, humiliation, and harassment from several executives, agents, employees, and/or representatives of Defendants.” She claimed that Lythgoe had also personally subjected her “not just to verbal harassment and bullying but also sexual abuse.” Abdul alleged that in an early season of “American Idol,” Lythgoe had sexually assaulted her while on the road for regional auditions.

She said that he “shoved” her against a wall in an elevator at their hotel and “grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat.” Though Abdul said she called her rep to report the incident, she didn’t take action “for fear that Lythgoe would have fired her” from the show.

The suit also alleged another incident which happened years later in 2014 when she was asked to appear as a judge on Season 12 of “SYTYCD.” Abdul was invited to a dinner at Lythgoe’s home to “discuss other opportunities for the two to work together.” She said that at the end of the night, he had “forced himself on top” of her while she was sitting on his couch and “attempted to kiss her,” saying they would “make an excellent ‘power couple.’” Abdul left after the incident, but said she “feared she would be retaliated against or blackballed if she spoke out about the incident.” The lawsuit also shared another alleged incident from April 2015 when she claimed that she saw Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants, who was listed under an alias in the suit, when he approached them from behind and “pressed himself up against” her assistant and “began to grope her” without consent.

As a a result of the alleged incidents, Abdul said she suffered from “severe emotional distress, emotional anguish, fear, anxiety, humiliation, embarrassment.” TODAY.com has reached out to representatives for Abdul and Lythgoe for comment, but did not hear back at the time this story was published.

The lawsuit stated that the singer hadn't reported the incidents “due to fear of speaking out” against Lythgoe and repercussions on her career including “being ostracized and blackballed” in the industry. Additionally, Abdul's contracts for the shows “prohibited Abdul from publicly discussing anything that might be deemed ‘confidential business information’ and/or which would be perceived as ‘derogatory.’” The lawsuit was filed in the in the Los Angeles County Superior Court under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allows sexual assault lawsuits to be made after the statute of limitations has passed and can be filed through Dec.

31, 2023..