LOS ANGELES, CA - DECEMBER 12: TV personalities Paula Abdul (L) and Nigel Lythgoe attend the 2013 amfAR Inspiration Gala Los Angeles at Milk Studios on December 12, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mike Windle/Getty Images)
Less than a year after filing a lawsuit against American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe, Paula Abdul has agreed to a settlement, bringing their legal dispute to a close.
According to court documents, the case was settled “unconditionally” on Monday, with hearings and a trial date expected to be vacated pending judicial approval.
In a statement, Abdul expressed relief over the resolution. “I am grateful that this chapter has successfully come to a close and is now something I can put behind me,” said Abdul. “This has been a long and hard-fought personal battle. I hope my experience can serve to inspire other women, facing similar struggles, to overcome their own challenges with dignity and respect.”
Abdul, 62, initially filed the lawsuit on December 29, 2023, under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, which allows survivors to pursue claims beyond the statute of limitations. The lawsuit alleged sexual assault, harassment, gender violence, and negligence, with Abdul accusing Lythgoe of multiple incidents during her time on American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, as well as an alleged assault involving her assistant in 2015.
Lythgoe, 75, denied the allegations, calling them “false” and “deeply offensive” in a December 2023 statement, while his legal team dismissed Abdul’s claims as “pure fiction.” In response, Abdul’s attorneys accused Lythgoe of “classic victim shaming,” emphasizing his position of power over Abdul’s career during their professional relationship.
The case escalated further in October 2024 when Abdul filed an amended complaint, alleging a third assault occurred during the 2015 incident involving her assistant. Lythgoe’s legal team pushed back, questioning the timing and credibility of the revised allegations.
The settlement comes amid mounting legal pressure for Lythgoe. Earlier this year, he stepped down from his judging role on So You Think You Can Dance after being named in multiple separate sexual assault lawsuits.
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