Paula Abdul – the veteran dancer, singer, choreographer and actress – is taking legal action against one of her former colleagues. The media personality has formally filed a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe, a former executive producer of American Idol. Per the filing, Abdul is accusing Lythegoe of two alleged instances of sexual assault that purportedly occurred while she was still on the long-running reality competition series and on another. The suit also contains details of the supposed encounters.
The 61-year-old entertainment industry veteran filed the lawsuit within California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act. This particular bill allows potential plaintiffs a one-year window to file certain suits revolving around sexual abuse, with the deadline to file being December 31. Per Variety, Paula Abdul’s suit was filed on Friday, and she alleges that Nigel Lythgoe first sexually assaulted her during an early season of the former Fox show’s run. She says that in that situation, Lythgoe pushed her against a wall in a hotel and shoved his tongue down her throat while groping her breast and genitals. After she tried to push him away, she allegedly ran to her room when a door opened.
According to the filing, the second supposed situation happened while the star was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. The producer reportedly invited her to dinner at his home, and the former Laker girl was under the impression that their meal would be professional. However, she accuses him of attempting to kiss her and forcing himself onto her body while she was sitting on the couch. The Idol alum also says that the Hollywood bigwig stated that the two of them would make a firm “power couple.”
Additionally, Paula Abdul accused Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting one of her assistants in 2015, saying that she witnessed him grope her without consent. On top of that, Abdul says Lythgoe taunted her, saying that "seven years and the statute of limitations had run." She further alleged that he verbally bullied and harassed Abdul while also discriminating against her by paying her less than her fellow judges on Idol. There are also claims that the show would be edited in a manner that would make her look less competent than her peers. The songstress is also suing American Idol Productions, 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America and Dance Nation Productions, as she claims the companies were all aware of Lythgoe’s alleged behavior.
The "Forever Your Girl" singer was on American Idol (which was part of the 2023 TV schedule) during its first nine seasons, which ran from 2002 to 2009 on Fox. She’s long been candid about her time on the show, discussing certain hurdles she faced, including her battles for equal pay. (That’s likely why she was asked for her take when current judge Katy Perry scored a $25 million payday.) As for why she’s only speaking out about the reported instances of assault now, the suit states that doing so earlier could’ve been detrimental to her career:
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 ostracized and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment.
American Idol’s Paula Abdul Recalls The Sweet Way She Helped Fantasia Ahead Of Her Audition
Paula Abdul has remained a fixture in the entertainment industry over the last several years and has continued to appear on TV shows. In 2019, she joined with Simon Cowell again on America's Got Talent and reunited with Ryan Seacrest on American Idol in 2021. This year, she showed up on Hell’s Kitchen and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. She also served as a guest judge on the latest season of Dancing With the Stars (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription).
As of this writing, Nigel Lythgoe has yet to issue a response to the allegations he’s facing from Paula Abdul. American Idol Productions, 19 Entertainment, FremantleMedia North America and Dance Nation Productions have yet to issue formal statements on the matter as well. Time will tell just how this situation pans out as Abdul seeks to move forward with the legal process.
