Paula Abdul Sues American Idol Executive Producer For Sexual Assault

In a lawsuit filed on Friday in Los Angeles, 80s pop star and original Idol judge Paula Abdul has sued executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence related to her terms as judges on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, according to reports from TMZ.

Lythgoe was a powerful producer for many years on the show between 2002 - 2016 as well as being the creator and judge on the first sixteen seasons of So You Think You Can Dance. Abdul was a judge on American Idol from 2002-2009 and on So You Think You Can Dance in 2015 and 2016. Abdul was also a judge on So You Think You Can Dance Australia in 2014 (however Lythgoe was not involved in that season and the current allegations are unrelated to that appointment).

Abdul alleges in court papers that during regional auditions of an early season of American Idol, Lithgoe grabbed her genitals and breasts in an elevator and attempted to kiss her. The documents say she tried to push him away and ran to her room when the elevator doors opened.

She alleges that a second altercation occurred at Lythgoe’s house where she was invited to discuss ‘work opportunities’ after being signed as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Lythgoe allegedly forced himself on top of her while she was on a couch and again tried to kiss her, telling her they would make an “excellent power couple”. Abdul says she pushed him off her and said she was not interested before leaving.

She alleges in the court documents that she was the victim of harrassment more generally across her run on the shows, including Lythgoe calling to tell her they should celebrate because the seven year statute of limitations had run after her alleged assault.

Abdul says she has come forward due to California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act which gives plaintiffs a new windown of opportunity to file civil claims otherwise be barred by the statute of limitations. She said she had not come forward earlier as Lythgoe threatened to fire her from both her judging gigs if she spoke of the assaults.

Neither Lythgoe nor the companies involved in the suit have yet responded to the suit.

Before her judging career, Paula Abdul was a successful choreographer for artists including Janet Jackson and was a hit pop artist in her own right, scoring multiple hits in Australia including the #1 Opposites Attract (with the iconic video featuring Abdul dancing with the animated feline rapper MC Skat Kat) and #2 Rush Rush.