Paula Abdul has accused former 91裸聊视频淎merican Idol91裸聊视频� producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexually assaulting her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the reality competition show, according to a new lawsuit.
The lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles also accuses Lythgoe of sexually assaulting Abdul after she left 91裸聊视频淎merican Idol91裸聊视频� and became a judge on Lythgoe91裸聊视频檚 other competition show 91裸聊视频淪o You Think You Can Dance.91裸聊视频�
The Associated Press generally does not identify alleged victims of sexual assault unless they come forward publicly, as Abdul has done.
In a statement Saturday, Abdul91裸聊视频檚 lawyer Douglas Johnson applauded the singer and dancer for speaking out publicly.
91裸聊视频淚t was clearly a difficult decision to make, but Ms. Abdul knows that she stands both in the shoes and on the shoulders of many other similarly situated survivors, and she is determined to see that justice is done,91裸聊视频� Johnson said.
Lythgoe said in a statement that he was 91裸聊视频渟hocked and saddened91裸聊视频� to hear of the allegations made by Abdul, who he said he considered a 91裸聊视频渄ear91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频渆ntirely platonic91裸聊视频� friend.
91裸聊视频淲hile Paula91裸聊视频檚 history of erratic behavior is well known, I can91裸聊视频檛 pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue,91裸聊视频� Lythgoe said in the statement. 91裸聊视频淏ut I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.91裸聊视频�
The lawsuit states Abdul remained silent for years about the alleged assaults out of fear of retaliation by 91裸聊视频渙ne of the most well-known producers of television competition shows.91裸聊视频�
Before 91裸聊视频淎merican Idol91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淪o You Think You Can Dance,91裸聊视频� on which Lythgoe served as a judge for 16 seasons, he was a producer on the British show 91裸聊视频淧op Idol,91裸聊视频� which became a global franchise that includes the U.S. iteration starring Abdul.
According to the lawsuit, the first sexual assault occurred while Abdul and Lythgoe were on the road filming auditions for an earlier season of 91裸聊视频淎merican Idol,91裸聊视频� which premiered in 2002.
Abdul says Lythgoe groped her in the elevator of their hotel after a day of filming and 91裸聊视频渂egan shoving his tongue down her throat.91裸聊视频� Abdul pushed him away and ran to her hotel room when the elevator doors opened.
91裸聊视频淚n tears, Abdul quickly called one of her representatives to inform them of the assault,91裸聊视频� the lawsuit says, 91裸聊视频渂ut ultimately decided not to take action for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol.91裸聊视频�
Abdul, a Grammy- and Emmy-winning artist, starred as a judge for the first eight seasons, leaving in 2009.
In 2015, Abdul became a judge on 91裸聊视频淪o You Think You Can Dance,91裸聊视频� appearing alongside Lythgoe.
Around that time, Abdul alleged in the lawsuit, Lythgoe forced himself on top of her during a dinner at his home and tried to kiss her. Abdul said she again pushed Lythgoe away and immediately left.
Abdul left the reality show after two seasons. She has not worked with Lythgoe since.
The lawsuit also accuses Lythgoe of taunting Abdul about the alleged assaults, saying to her years later that 91裸聊视频渢hey should celebrate91裸聊视频� because 91裸聊视频渢he statute of limitations had run.91裸聊视频�
Abdul filed the suit days before the Dec. 31 deadline of a California law that opened a one-year window for victims to file lawsuits involving sexual abuse claims after the statute of limitations has run out.
More than 3,700 legal claims were filed under that expired last month.
The Associated Press
