Paula Abdul is suing Nigel Lythgoe, the executive producer of reality shows American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, for sexual assault.
The singer, actor and TV personality, 61, rose to fame as a choreographer for The Jacksons in the late Eighties, later establishing herself as a successful pop singer, then building a career in the noughties as a judge on reality contests including American Idol and The X Factor.
In the lawsuit filed on Friday 29 December, Abdul alleges that Lythgoe, 74, sexually assaulted her in an elevator during one of the early seasons of American Idol, US media reports.
She claims that the British-born TV executive shoved her against a wall and groped her breast and genitals, and shoved his tongue down her throat.
According to the suit, Abdul tried to push him away then ran to her room when the elevator door opened.
She alleges that, years later, Lythgoe invited her to his home for dinner while she was working as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.
Thinking it would be a professional encounter, Abdul accepted. However, the suit says that Lythgoe forced himself on top of her while she was sitting on his sofa, told her they would make a “great power couple” and attempted to kiss her.
The lawsuit states that Abdul once again pushed him away and fled the property.
Paula Abdul (left) is suing TV executive Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault— (Getty)
It also accuses Lythgoe of verbal harassment, bullying, and discrimination against Abdul, who claims she was paid less than the male judges on American Idol.
Abdul also claims that she saw Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants in April 2015. She alleges that his behaviour was common knowledge in the TV industry, and that it was even parodied in a 2008 episode of MADtv.
She is also suing production companies 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America, American Idol Productions and Dance Nation Productions for allegedly failing to take steps to hold Lythgoe accountable.
“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 of being ostracised and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment,” the lawsuit states,Variety reports.
The Independent has contacted Lythgoe for comment.
Paula Abdul on ‘American Idol’ with fellow judge Katy Perry— (Fox/ABC/YouTube)
Abdul signed non-disclosure agreements as part of her employment on both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, preventing her from disclosing information deemed confidential or derogatory.
She quit American Idol in 2009 after eight seasons, amid rumours of a pay dispute.
Her suit was filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which allows accusers to file certain abuse lawsuits that would otherwise fall outside the statute of limitations within a one-year window.
The deadline to file is Sunday 31 December.
Lythgoe began his entertainment career in the Seventies and Eighties, later producing British TV shows including Blind Date and Gladiators.
He served as a judge on Popstars, earning the nickname “Nasty Nigel” by the tabloid press for his harsh feedback to contestants.
In one particularly notorious incident, he made singer Kym Marsh – a member of the pop group Hear’Say – cry in front of an audience of around 12 million, when he remarked: “Christmas may be gone, but I see the goose is still fat.”
Rape Crisis offers support for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. You can call them on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, and 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland, or visit their website at www.rapecrisis.org.uk. If you are in the US, you can call Rainn on 800-656-HOPE (4673)
