Nigel Lythgoe Exits ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ Following Sexual Assault Lawsuit

Nigel Lythgoe is leaving his on-camera and behind the scenes roles on Fox’s So You Think You Can Dance in the wake of a sexual assault lawsuit filed by former SYTYCD and American Idol judge Paula Abdul.

Lythgoe, who also co-created the long-running dance series with Simon Fuller, said in a statement that he’s stepping aside “voluntarily” ahead of the SYTYCD’s 18th season, which is slated to begin March 4 on Fox. Lythgoe will not be credited as an executive producer on the forthcoming season.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

• Paula Abdul Sues 'American Idol' Producer Nigel Lythgoe Over Sexual Assault Claims

• Allison Holker Boss Says She Will Continue to Share Joy Through Dance Following Stephen "tWitch" Boss' Death: "That's Not Going to Change"

• Stephen "tWitch" Boss Remembered by Loved Ones at Celebration of Life Service

“I have informed the producers of So You Think You Can Dance of my decision to step back from participating in this year’s series,” the statement reads. “I did so with a heavy heart but entirely voluntarily because this great program has always been about dance and dancers, and that’s where its focus needs to remain. In the meantime, I am dedicating myself to clearing my name and restoring my reputation.”

Fox and SYTYCD producers 19 Entertainment and Dick Clark Productions said in a separate statement, “19 Entertainment, Dick Clark Productions, and Fox can confirm the upcoming season of So You Think You Can Dance will proceed, although without Nigel Lythgoe, to ensure the show remains committed to the contestants, who have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to compete on our stage. No decision has been made as to a replacement judge for this season.”

(Dick Clark Productions is owned by Penske Media Eldridge, a joint venture between Penske Media Corporation and Eldridge that also owns The Hollywood Reporter.)

Abdul’s suit, filed on Dec. 29, claims that Lythgoe, an executive producer of American Idol for most of its run on Fox, “verbally insulted and belittled” her during a meeting with Idol executives and producers prior to the show’s 2002 debut. Hoping it was “a one-time event,” she took the job, but at some point during the early seasons of the singing competition, Abdul alleges that Lythgoe groped and kissed her in a hotel elevator. (Idol now airs on ABC; Lythgoe is no longer with the show.)

Then during her two seasons as a So You Think You Can Dance judge in 2015 and 2016, Abdul’s suit claims Lythgoe again assaulted her during a dinner at his home: “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.’” In both cases, Abdul said she did not report the alleged assaults to authorities for fear of retaliation that could harm her career.

Lythgoe has denied the allegations in Abdul’s lawsuit, saying in a statement that “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. … Out of the blue, I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for.”

Sony-owned 19 Entertainment has also begun investigating claims against Lythgoe.

Best of The Hollywood Reporter

• Power Showrunners: Hollywood’s 50-ish Most Influential Writer-Producers of 2023

• The Cast of 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer,' Then and Now

• The Cast of 'Suits,' Then and Now