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Days after American singer and dancer Paula Abdul sued Nigel Lythgoe, the British TV executive he has denied her claims of s*xual assault. On Friday, December 29, 2023, Abdul filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County, alleging several instances of assault while they worked on the American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance.
Trigger warning: The following article contains references to s*xual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
In response, Nigel Lythgoe shared a statement with the U.S. media remarking he was "shocked" by her accusation.
"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... I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have."
Paula Abdul was a judge on both TV shows, whereas Nigel Lythgoe was the executive producer on the Fox singing talent show and a co-judge on the dancing reality show.
As per TMZ, the lawsuit claims one of the earliest instances of assault took place during one of the "initial seasons" of American Idol when the pair were on the road for regional auditions. A second incident occurred a decade later at the TV bigshot's home in Los Angeles.
Needless to say, internet users were quick to share their reactions with one user supporting Paula, stating:
"Here we go again": Netizens react to Nigel Lythgoe's statement denying claims in Paula Abdul's lawsuit
As news of the lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe went viral, internet users were left shocked. They quickly stood in solidarity with Abdul, remarking that the British executive gave a "creep vibe." Others stated that he should be jailed if proven guilty or if Paula was lying, then she should face an equally harsh penalty. Here are some comments seen under @PopCrave's X post:
Paula Abdul's lawsuit was filed under California's Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which temporarily lifts the 7-year statute of limitations in sexual assault cases. She claimed she remained silent for years due to "professional contracts" and "fear of speaking out" against someone who could "easily break her career."
She has not released a statement following Nigel Lythgoe's response at the time of writing this article.
