Nigel Lythgoe: Paula Abdul’s Sexual Assault Claims Are ‘False’ and ‘Deeply Offensive’

Nigel Lythgoe, an executive producer for American Idol and co-creator of So You Think You Can Dance, is denying he sexually assaulted Paula Abdul after she filed a lawsuit on Friday claiming multiple instances of abuse.

In the lawsuit, which has been reviewed by our sister site Rolling Stone, Abdul accuses Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her during an early season of American Idol, and again in 2014 while she was judging So You Think You Can Dance.

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“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,” Lythgoe told TMZ on Saturday.

He continued: “While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, 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 said that he and Abdul “have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues” for over two decades. “To say say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,” he shared.

In the lawsuit, Abdul details a pattern of toxic behavior, alleging that Lythgoe “verbally insulted and belittled” her as early as 2001. Upon joining Idol as a judge in 2002, she claims she was bullied by Lythgoe and was paid less than her male counterparts. Then, during one of the show’s “initial seasons,” Lythgoe allegedly sexually assaulted her in a hotel elevator while traveling for contestant auditions.

“Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the suit alleges. “Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her. When the doors to the elevator for her door opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator and to her hotel room. Abdul quickly called one of her representatives in tears to inform them of the assault.”

Years later in 2014, Lythgoe allegedly sexually assaulted Abdul again after inviting her to his home for dinner, which Abdul thought to be a “professional invitation,” according to the suit.

“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,’” the suit claims. “Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances and immediately left.”

Additionally, the suit details another alleged sexual assault perpetrated by Lythgoe that Abdul witnessed in 2015. It also claims that Lythgoe “knew and was aware that his treatment of Abdul was inappropriate and even criminal.”

Lythgoe is set to return to the SYTYCD judging dais for Season 18 in 2024 alongside Dancing With the Stars vet Maksim Chmerkovskiy and SYTYCD alum/Emmy-nominated DWTS choreographer Allison Holker. SYTYCD All-Star Comfort Fedoke will serve as a guest judge during the auditions.

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