‘American Idol’ Producer Nigel Lythgoe Slapped With Another Sexual Assault Suit As He Denies Paula Abdul’s Allegations

American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe has issued a furious denial in response to the recent lawsuit brought against him by Paula Abdul, in which she alleges Lythgoe sexually assaulted her on two separate occasions.

In new documents filed to the L.A. Superior Court on Tuesday, Lythgoe categorically refutes Abdul’s claims, and describes them as “false, despicable, intolerable, and life-changing…the worst form of character assassination.”

The filing stated, “[Abdul] is a pathological liar and attention seeker,  with no apparent concern about consistently making contradictory representations. She invents stories and then she doubles down, always working to make herself appear the victim. Consistent with her past pattern of telling lies about incidents that allegedly happened to her, Abdul’s recent allegations against Lythgoe are pure fiction.  There is only one victim here and that is Lythgoe, whose life and career have been decimated by Abdul’s lies.”

Abdul initially filed her lawsuit in December 2023 and alleged that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in the early seasons of American Idol. She said while in an elevator, he pushed her against a wall, groped her breasts and genitals, and forcibly kissed her.

Abdul further alleged that when Lythgoe served as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, he invited her to his home where he forced himself on top of her, attempted to kiss her and suggested they would make a formidable “power couple.”

Shortly after Abdul’s lawsuit was filed, Lythgoe faced a second sexual assault lawsuit from two contestants who participated in All American Girl, a competition show that aired on ABC in 2003. In January, Lythgoe voluntarily stepped down as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance, and expressed his commitment to clearing his name to restore his reputation.

JoJo Siwa subsequently replaced him on the panel for the show’s 18th season. Abdul is represented by Melissa Eubanks, Neville Johnson and Douglas Johnson, with their law firm, Johnson & Johnson, subsequently filing two additional lawsuits against Lythgoe, bringing the total to four.

In the most recent complaint, an individual identified as Jane Doe alleges that Lythgoe forcibly groped her, pinned her against a wall and licked her neck in 2018. The suit states that she managed to break free and leave his residence. The complaint further asserts that she had a professional relationship with Lythgoe for over a decade prior to the incident, but he terminated the relationship following the alleged assault.