Breaking News: Paula Abdul Sues Nigel Lythgoe for Alleged Sexual Assault
Dec. 30 (UPI) — Paula Abdul, known for her pop music career and appearances on TV shows like American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, is taking legal action against Nigel Lythgoe, a producer for these popular series, for alleged sexual assault.
According to reports from People.com, TMZ, and Deadline, Abdul filed the lawsuit against Lythgoe in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The lawsuit invokes the Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act, extending the window for litigation in cases where the statute of limitations has lapsed.
The court documents allege that Lythgoe, 74, subjected Abdul, 60, to physical abuse while she was in her judging role on his competition series. Abdul claims that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her and her assistant on separate occasions, which occurred during her time on American Idol in the 2000s and later while working on So You Think You Can Dance.
One of the most disturbing details is Abdul’s fear of retaliation, which led her to keep silent about the assaults for so long. She was afraid of losing her job if she spoke out.
The lawsuit names several entities as defendants, including Lythgoe and production companies associated with American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance. The allegations include sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, and negligence.
As of now, there have been no public comments from any involved parties regarding the lawsuit.
