After Paula Abdul accusations, producer Nigel Lythgoe is hit with another sexual assault lawsuit
Written by ABC AUDIO ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on January 3, 2024
Following Paula Abdul‘s lawsuit accusing Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault, the So You Think You Can Dance and American Idol producer has now been hit with a second sexual assault lawsuit.
According to documents obtained by ABC News, two contestants from the 2003 ABC reality competition show All American Girl are alleging that Lythgoe made sexual advances toward them after they went to his house following the show’s wrap party.
While Abdul’s lawsuit was filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, the window for that closed on December 31. This new lawsuit was filed on January 2.
Abdul’s complaint was filed on December 29. According to court documents, Abdul accuses Lythgoe of groping and forcibly kissing her in an elevator during auditions for one of American Idol‘s early seasons. She also alleges that in 2015, he attempted to force himself on her while they were sitting together on a couch, and that he groped one of her assistants.
One of Abdul’s lawyers, Douglas L. Johnson, said in a statement, “Ms. Abdul should be commended for the immense courage required to take action against the type of abuse that was inflicted upon her.”
In a statement to TMZ, Lythgoe responded to Abdul’s suit by calling it “false” and “deeply offensive.”
“To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement. For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues,” Lythgoe’s statement continued.
He added, “I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”
Lythgoe has yet to respond to the new filing.
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