Paula Abdul Accuses Nigel Lythgoe of Sexual Assault in Lawsuit

Lythgoe Denies Allegations, Vows to Fight in Court

Paula Abdul has filed a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe, former producer of 'American Idol' and 'So You Think You Can Dance', accusing him of sexual assault on two separate occasions.
Lythgoe has denied the allegations, calling them 'false' and 'deeply offensive', and has vowed to fight the claims in court.
Abdul alleges the first assault occurred during the early seasons of 'American Idol' in a hotel elevator, and the second incident happened at Lythgoe's home during her tenure as a judge on 'So You Think You Can Dance'.
Abdul also claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted one of her assistants in 2015, and that she faced discrimination and received less pay than her male counterparts during her time on 'American Idol'.
The lawsuit was filed under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, which extends the statute of limitations for civil suits in some sexual assault cases.