Paula Abdul Sues ‘American Idol’ Producer Nigel Lythgoe For Sexual Assault

American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe has been added to the list of those sued for sexual assault.

The lawsuit was filed by Paula Abdul on Friday and claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her.

Lythgoe denied those claims and told media outlets that he was “shocked and saddened by the allegations made against [him].” He then continued to say that he and Abdul “have interacted as dear, and entirely platonic, friends and colleagues.”

“I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for,” he said. “While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, I can’t pretend to understand to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”

In addition to Lythgoe, 19 Entertainment Inc., FremantleMedia North America Inc., American Idol Productions Inc. and Dance Nation Productions were also named as the defendants. They are being sued for sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence.

The lawsuit describes two sexual assault incidents. In the first, Lythgoe allegedly “shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her private area and breasts and began shoving his tongue down her throat.” She then informed one of her representatives about the incident but “ultimately decided not to take action for fear that Lythgoe would have her fired from American Idol.”

The second incident reportedly happened when Abdul was a judge on So You Think You Can Dance. Lythgoe allegedly invited Abdul to his residence for dinner, where he then allegedly “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 lawsuit was filed two days before California’s December 31 deadline to file lawsuits surrounding sexual abuse claims after the statute of limitations has run out.

Lawsuits have also been brought against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Axl Rose.