Paula Abdul Sues American Idol Producer Nigel Lythgoe for Sexual Abuse
Paula Abdul is standing up for herself. She formally sued Nigel Lythgoe, her former So You Think You Can Dance co-judge and the executive producer of American Idol, for sexual assault in Los Angeles.
Based on documents from The Blast, the 61-year-old Paula claimed that the 74-year-old TV personality sexually assaulted her more than once. In addition, the “Opposites Attract” singer also claimed that Nigel belittled and verbally insulted her.
Paula shared that back in 2001, FOX approached her and invited her to become a judge in the American version of a singing competition called Pop Idol. Nigel was one of the producers of that show.
Intrigued, Paula went ahead and joined a meeting with the executives and producers. According to her, this was one of the instances where she was “verbally insulted and belittled” by Nigel.
The 80s singer recounted how Nigel told her that she was a “has been” celebrity and that the contestants of their upcoming show wouldn’t even know her. His views were a stark contrast from the other members of the new show who believed that Paula would be a perfect fit and exactly what they were looking for.
The encounter led Paula to have grave reservations about being on the show. She informed her representatives of her concerns. But hoping that it was an isolated incident, she eventually became one of the judges.
Additionally, the “Straight Up” singer revealed that the first time the sexual assault happened was during American Idol’s first seasons when they were on the road and conducting regional auditions.
The document described the details of the assault, “One evening, following the day’s auditions, Lythgoe and Abdul entered the elevator of the hotel where they were staying. Upon entering the elevator, Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat.”
In the lawsuit, it was indicated that Paula attempted to push Nigel away. The second the elevator doors opened, she hurried to her room and informed her reps of the incident.
The second incident, as gathered by TMZ, happened at Nigel’s house during a dinner in 2015. This was after Paula signed her contract to become a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.
Paula attended the dinner expecting that it was a professional gathering. However, while sitting on a couch with Nigel, the producer tried to force himself on top of her. She also stated in the legal documents that “Nigel attempted to kiss her while telling her that they would make an excellent power couple.”
Paula handled the situation by “pushing Nigel off, explaining she was not interested in his advances, and immediately left.”
The singer admitted that “due to fear of possible implications to her career, she chose to stay quiet on the incident.” Paula also witnessed Nigel sexually assaulting one of her assistants, and there was a time when Nigel called her, saying that they should celebrate because “it had been seven years and the statute of limitations had run.”
Aside from Nigel, Paula is also suing 19 Entertainment and Fremantle Media North America.
Paula admitted that she was encouraged to file charges by California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which states, “From January 1, 2023, through December 31, 2026, sexual assault and abuse claims, which the statute of limitations would otherwise bar, will be revived and officially be eligible to be brought in civil court…”
