Paula Abdul sued the executive producer of “American Idol” and her former co-judge on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Nigel Lythgoealleging sexual assault, in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023.

In documents obtained by The Blast, the 61-year-old Opposites Attract singer claimed Nigel Lythgoe sexually abused her and also “isolated and verbally belittled” her, according to the documents.

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The famous singer explained that in 2001, she was approached by FOX to appear as a judge on the US version of the singing competition series ‘Pop Idol’, which Lythgoe also helped produce.

Due to her fascination with the show, she attended a meeting with both the executives and the producers of the show. He then claimed he was “verbally abused and belittled by Nigel Lythgoe”.

Also, Abdul stated that she had been told, “that she was an ‘outdated’ celebrity and the contestants on the show probably wouldn’t know her, despite the fact that others thought she was exactly what they were looking for.”

The singer had serious reservations about her appearance on the show and informed her reps of those concerns, but both she and her team hoped the incident would stay at that.

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In the documents, the singer claimed that the first incident of sexual assault happened on the first season of “American Idol” while she was on the way to auditions.

“One evening, after the day’s auditions, Lythgoe and Abdul entered the elevator of the hotel where they were staying. Once they entered the elevator, Lythgoe pushed Abdul against the wall, then fondled her genitals and breasts and began sticking his tongue down her throat,” according to the documents.

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The lawsuit alleges that Abdul tried to push him away and that he went to her room as soon as the elevator doors opened. She immediately contacted her representatives to inform them of the incident.

The second incident reportedly took place during a dinner party held at Lythgoe’s home after he was signed to appear as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance” in 2015, according to TMZ.

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Assuming the dinner was on a business basis, Paula Abdul attended the dinner. However, she claimed that at some point, while they were both sitting on a couch, Lythgoe threw himself at her. She also stated in the documents that he had tried to kiss her while telling her they would make a great couple.

The suit alleges that Abdul pushed him away, explaining that she was not interested in his proposals and promptly left. However, due to the fear of possible repercussions on her career, she chose not to talk about the incident. In the documents, the singer further claims she witnessed Nigel sexually assaulting one of her assistants. The star is not only suing Nigel, but also 19 Entertainment and Fremantle Media North America.