Paula Abdul Seen For First Time Since Bombshell Nigel Lythgoe Accusations

Paula Abdul has stepped out for the first time since filing the lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe, naming sexual assault allegations in the filing.

As The Blast previously reported, the ‘Straight Up’ singer filed a lawsuit against ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ boss Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault.

According to legal documents obtained by The Blast, the former ‘American Idol’ judge claims Lythgoe “verbally insulated and belittled” her on several occasions, before he “sexually assaulted” her during one of the first seasons of ‘American Idol.’

Now, Abdul has been spotted for the first time since the filing. See the photos of the former 'American Idol' judge below.

Paula Abdul Files Lawsuit Against Nigel Lythgoe

Per the docs, Lythgoe sexually assaulted Abdul during one of ‘American Idol”s initial seasons, while on the road for the show’s regional auditions.

“One evening, following the day’s auditions, Lythgoe and Abdul entered the elevator of the hotel where they were staying,” the docs stated, adding, “Upon entering the elevator, Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat. Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her.”

According to the filing, "when the doors to the elevator for her floor 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.”

She also claims that while at a dinner party, the former 'So You Think You Can Dance’ boss assaulted her a second time. While at Lythgoe’s house, he reportedly “attempted to kiss her” and told Abdul the two would make a “power couple.” Abdul says she “pushed him off, explaining she was not interested in his advances, and immediately left,” per the legal documents.

Nigel Lythgoe Accused Of Discrimination

In addition to the sexual assault allegations, Paula Abdul also says Lythgoe discriminated against her.

Abdul's lawsuit states:

Paula Abdul’s participation in ‘American Idol’ as a judge on the show was a huge success, bringing in viewers among viewers for multiple seasons.

In fact, “during her tenure on the show, which spanned eight seasons from 2002 to 2009, viewership and ratings for the show skyrocketed, hitting their peak between Seasons 5 and 8. Tellingly, ratings and viewership began to sink almost immediately following Abdul’s departure from the show,” the documents state.

See Paula Abdul Make Her First Public Appearance Since Filing Lawsuit

Now, for the first time since filing the lawsuit, the singer has stepped out in public as she visited her lawyer's office in Los Angeles. She didn't try to cover her face as she wore sunglasses above her head and a black studded dress. She did, however, look somber as could be as her arms were crossed holding a water bottle.

She was also seen wearing sheer black stockings as she walked towards her getaway car.

See the photos, obtained by Daily Mail, here.

Nigel Lythgoe Breaks Silence On Paula Abdul’s Sexual Assault Allegations

Following the allegations, Nigel Lythgoe broke his silence, claiming the allegations were false.

“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,” he said in a statement. “Yesterday, however, 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.”

He concluded by stating, “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.”

Paula Abdul Responds To Nigel Lythgoe's Statement

Abdul then spoke out, via her lawyer, stating, “Mr. Lythgoe’s answer to Ms. Abdul’s complaint is classic victim shaming. Mr. Lythgoe fails to appreciate that he held a position of power over Ms. Abdul. He was a producer on ‘American Idol’ and ‘SYTYCD’ and she was the talent. He held the cards to her career in his hand and he knew it.”

The statement continued, “It thus is no surprise that Ms. Abdul placated to his ego with positive messaging and seeming adoration. These are the defenses that many women like Ms. Abdul had to adopt to deal with men who abuse their power.”

Per Radar Online, Abdul added, “While Mr. Lythgoe’s answer cherry-picks from years of messages with Ms. Abdul to try to discredit her claims, what his selections fail to show are the numerous instances of overt sexual harassment he forced Ms. Abdul to tolerate."