American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance? executive producer Nigel Lythgoe has denied sexual assault allegations leveled against him by Paula Abdul. “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,” Lythgoe said in a statement to TMZ.
Furthermore, Lythgoe also used his statement to undermine the credibility of Abdul. “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,” he noted. He did not elaborate on the nature of this “well-known erratic behavior”. However, it could refer to her alleged affair with American Idol contestant Corey Clark.
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What Allegations Has Paula Abdul Made About Nigel Lythgoe?
First reported by TMZ, Abdul has filed a sexual assault lawsuit against Lythgoe under California’s Sexual Assault And Cover Up Accountability Act. Abdul’s suit claims that Lythgoe assaulted her multiple times during the early seasons of American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance? while she served as a judge. The suit recounts an initial assault in an elevator while they were overseeing regional audiences for American Idol. Abdul claims to have informed her reps immediately after the incident but chose to stay quiet publicly for fear of retaliation.
Furthermore, the suit recounts a second incident when Lythgoe assaulted Abdul at his home after inviting her over to discuss “work opportunities”. The assault reportedly occurred in 2015, soon after Abdul renewed her contract on So You Think You Can Dance? Additionally, Lythgoe reportedly called her to “celebrate” the statute of limitations expiring on his initial assault.
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