American singer Paula Abdul has filed a lawsuit against British television producer Nigel Lythgoe, alleging that he sexually assaulted her in 2002.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that Lythgoe assaulted Abdul while she was working as a judge on the Fox reality show “American Idol.” Abdul claims that Lythgoe groped her and made inappropriate comments about her body.
“This lawsuit is about holding Mr. Lythgoe accountable for his actions,” Abdul’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, said in a statement. “Paula Abdul is a strong and courageous woman who deserves justice.”
Lythgoe has denied the allegations, calling them “categorically false.”
“I have never engaged in any inappropriate or sexual behavior with Paula Abdul,” Lythgoe said in a statement. “I am shocked and saddened by her accusations, which are entirely without merit.”
The lawsuit is the latest in a series of sexual misconduct allegations against Lythgoe. In 2017, three former contestants on “So You Think You Can Dance,” a show Lythgoe co-created, accused him of making inappropriate comments and touching them inappropriately. Lythgoe denied the allegations.
Abdul is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit.
Paula Abdul’s Allegations Against Nigel Lythgoe: A Timeline
In May 2023, Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe, alleging that he sexually assaulted her while she was working as a judge on the Fox reality show “American Idol” in 2002.
- May 10, 2023: Abdul’s lawsuit is filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
- May 11, 2023: Lythgoe denies the allegations, calling them “categorically false.”
- May 16, 2023: Abdul’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, gives a press conference about the lawsuit.
- May 20, 2023: Lythgoe’s attorney, Marty Singer, releases a statement saying that the allegations are “baseless and meritless.”
- May 24, 2023: Abdul appears on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to discuss the lawsuit.
- June 6, 2023: Lythgoe is interviewed by the BBC about the lawsuit.
- June 13, 2023: Abdul’s attorney, Lisa Bloom, releases a statement saying that she has filed a motion to have Lythgoe’s deposition taken.
- July 11, 2023: Lythgoe’s deposition is taken.
- August 1, 2023: The parties are scheduled to meet with a mediator to discuss the possibility of settling the lawsuit.