The singer claims the ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ producer sexually assaulted her during two alleged incidents, one during the “initial seasons” of ‘American Idol’ and the other in 2014.
Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe
Leon Bennett/Getty Images; Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Paula Abdul has sued Nigel Lythgoe, former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer, claiming he sexually assaulted her twice.
The singer filed a lawsuit on Friday against Lythgoe and the show’s production companies, alleging that the producer sexually assaulted her during one of the early seasons of American Idol, and then in 2014 while she was hosting So You Think You Can Dance.
In the court documents, Abdul alleges that Lythgoe subjected her to “verbal harassment and bullying” as well as “sexual abuse.”
In one instance, Abdul alleges Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in an elevator of a hotel they were both staying at while traveling for one of the singing competition show’s auditions. The suit doesn’t give a year the incident happened but claims it was during the show’s “initial seasons.”
“Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the complaint states. “Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her and let him know his behavior was not acceptable. When the doors to the elevator for her floor opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator and to her hotel room. In tears, Abdul quickly called one of her representatives to inform them of the assault but ultimately decided not to take action for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol.”
Years later, Abdul claims, Lythgoe sexually assaulted her again when she was working on So You Think You Can Dance, with Abdul inking a deal to serve as a judge in January 2015. Abdul was invited to Lythgoe’s home for dinner, the complaint states, “to discuss other opportunities for the two to work together.”
Believing the dinner was a “professional invitation,” Abdul accepted the invite, according to the complaint.
“Toward the end of the evening, however, 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 states. “Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances, and immediately left Lythgoe’s home. As with the earlier incident, Abdul feared she would be retaliated against or blackballed if she spoke out against the incident.”
Later, the complaint reiterates how Abdul refrained from speaking out due to fear of retaliation.
“For years, Abdul has remained silent about the sexual assaults and harassment she experienced on account of Lythgoe, due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows who could easily break her career as a television personality and being ostracized and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment,” the document states.
Abdul’s contracts on both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, which the complaint claims were such deals were “drafted by entities with which Lythgoe was associated,” also specified that she was “prohibited from publicly disclosing sensitive information” regarding the shows and their business affairs, according to the complaint.
Elsewhere in the suit, Abdul said she also witnessed Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants at the time while filming So You Think You Can Dance in 2015. The singer claims Lythgoe “approached Abdul and April from behind pressed himself up against April and began to grope her. April did not consent.”
Abdul’s lawsuit claims Lythgoe proceeded to tease her on the phone about his alleged behavior and incidents, and said he “clearly knew that his assaults of Abdul were not just wrong but that he held the power to keep her silent.”
Lythgoe produced American Idol from 2002 to 2014 and produced So You Think You Can Dance from 2005 to 2014.
In addition to Lythgoe, the shows’ production companies American Idol Productions, Dance Nation Productions, 19 Entertainment and Fremantlemedia North America were also all listed as defendants in the suit.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to reps for Lythgoe and American Idol for comment.
