American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe sued by Paula Abdul for alleged assault 

American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer Nigel Lythgoe is being sued by American singer and dancer Paula Abdul. Abdul, who has been a part of American Idol since its inception, recently filed a lawsuit against the show's executive producer for allegedly s*xually assaulting her while filming the show in the past.

As per the court documents obtained by Page Six, the actress alleges that Lythogoe assaulted her during the initial seasons of the singing competition. The paperwork reads that while in an elevator, the producer "shoved Abdul against the wall," grabbed parts of her body, and "began shoving his tongue down her throat."

It continues that when the doors opened, Abdul ran to her hotel room and called one of her representatives "in tears" while informing them of the assault. This was allegedly not the only time Lyhthogoe forced himself on her as another incident took place while she was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

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American Idol star Paula Abdul allegedly saw Nigel Lythgoe assault her assistants

The 61-year-old American Idol judge filed a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe on Friday, December 29, 2023, for alleged s*xual assault. As per the documents obtained by Page Six, the singer alleges that Nigel was involved in three cases of assault, two of which were against her and one against one of her assistants.

While Paula Abdul was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, Nigel Lythgoe invited her to his house for dinner, where he tried to force himself on her. The documents note that the American Idol judge accepted the invitation as she believed it was a professional invitation:

"Toward the end of the evening, Lythgoe 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." - The paperwork reads.

It continues that Abdul pushed him off of her and left immediately after explaining that she was not interested. Abdul further alleges that she saw him assault one of her assistants in 2005. While filming SYTYCD, the executive producer non-consensually pressed himself against the woman and started to "grope her."

The documents further explain why the American Idol cast member didn't speak out about the alleged assault prior and notes that she was afraid. Nigel Lythgoe's net worth stands at $150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, and he is one of the most well-known producers in the reality television segment.

Abdul claims through the lawsuit that he could easily "break her career" and that she was afraid of being "ostracized" and "blackballed" in an industry that was known for "protecting powerful men."

American Idol has been on air since 2002, and episodes of it can be streamed on ABC.