Paula Abdul has sued Nigel Lythgoe, former American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance producer, claiming he sexually assaulted her twice during filming of the two shows.
Nigel produced American Idol from 2002 to 2014 and So You Think You Can Dance from 2005 to 2014. He found fame in the UK producing Saturday night entertainment shows including Gladiators and Blind Date, and in 2000 he became a judge on one of the first singing reality shows, Popstars, where he was nicknamed "Nasty Nigel" by the press and viewers.
Paula, an acclaimed dancer who found fame in the 1980s as a singer filed a lawsuit on Friday December 29 against 74-year-old Nigel and the show’s production companies. She alleged that British-born Nigel sexually assaulted her while they were in an elevator of a hotel they were both staying at during one of American Idol's "initial seasons".
“Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the complaint reads, according to Rolling Stone, who have seen the documents.
“Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her. When the doors to the elevator for her door opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator and to her hotel room. Abdul quickly called one of her representatives in tears to inform them of the assault," it continued.
The complaint also reports that in 2014, while she was hosting So You Think You Can Dance, he invited her to his home for what she believed was a professional dinner. Instead, she alleges that he "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 suit claims she pushed him off and left his home. It goes on to state that she did not speak out at the time for fear of retribution. Her contracts on both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance also specified that she was “prohibited from publicly disclosing sensitive information” regarding the shows and their business affairs.
The suit also alleges that Paula saw Nigel sexually assault one of her assistants, knowm only as April, in 2015, claiming Nigel “approached Abdul and April from behind pressed himself up against April and began to grope her. April did not consent".
Paula has also said that Nigel would often "tease" her on the phone about his alleged behaviour, with the documents claiming that he "clearly knew that his assaults of Abdul were not just wrong but that he held the power to keep her silent".
Production companies American Idol Productions, Dance Nation Productions, 19 Entertainment and Fremantlemedia North America were also all listed as defendants in the suit.
Nigel has not yet commented on the suit. HELLO! has reached out for comment.