Paula Abdul sues “American Idol” and“ So You Think You Can Dance ”producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault

The "Straight Up" singer accused Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her while she was a judge on "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

Paula Abdul is suing American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault in a new lawsuit.

According to the court complaint obtained by PEOPLE, which was filed in the Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday, Abdul claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her during an early season of American Idol and then again when she was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Abdul also alleged that Lythgoe assaulted her assistant, whom she said was named April, in 2015, according to the outlet.

Abdul is suing Lythgoe — as well as 19 Entertainment Inc., FremantleMedia North America Inc., American Idol Productions Inc., and Dance Nation Productions Inc. — alleging sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, and negligence, per PEOPLE. The lawsuit was reportedly filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allows survivors to seek legal action even after the statute of limitations has expired.

In a statement to EW, Lythgoe denied the allegations: “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. 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 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.”

Representatives for Abdul, Fremantle North America Inc., and 19 Entertainment Inc. did not immediately respond to EW's request for comment. American Idol Productions Inc. is listed in court documents as a subsidiary of Fremantle North America Inc., while Dance Nation Productions Inc. is a subsidiary of 19 Entertainment, according to PEOPLE.

In the lawsuit, Abdul, who was a judge on American Idol from 2002 until 2009, claimed that Lythgoe “shoved [her] against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts and began shoving his tongue down her throat” when they were in an elevator together during one of the show’s first seasons, per PEOPLE. Lythgoe served as a producer on the program from 2002 until 2014.

The outlet reported, citing Abdul’s complaint, that Abdul allegedly “attempted to push Lythgoe away from her and let him know that his behavior was not acceptable” and notified one of her representatives about the incident, but ultimately chose not to take action against Lythgoe out of “fear that [he] would have her fired from American Idol.”

The Grammy-winning singer also reportedly claimed in the lawsuit that she was “discriminated against in terms of compensation and benefits compared to one of the show’s male judges and the host," adding that she was also “the target of constant taunts, bullying, humiliation, and harassment” while serving as a judge on the popular singing competition.

Abdul alleged in the suit that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her a second time at a dinner in his home while she was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance in 2015, during which he “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,’” per PEOPLE.

The “Straight Up” singer detailed in the lawsuit that she then “pushed Lythgoe off her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances” before leaving, the outlet reports.

In the suit, Abdul also claimed that she witnessed Lythgoe sexually assault her assistant in April 2015. “One evening, Lythgoe approached Abdul and April from behind, pressed himself up against April and began to grope her,” the document states, per PEOPLE. “April did not consent.”

Abdul’s lawsuit comes less than a month after it was announced that Lythgoe would be returning as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance alongside All-Star Allison Holker and series alum Maksim Chmerkovskiy for its upcoming season starting in March.

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