Paula Abdul settles lawsuit accusing American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault
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Paula Abdul has agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged that former American Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe sexually assaulted her when she was a judge on the show in the early Noughties.
On Thursday (December 12), Abdul filed a notice of settlement in Los Angeles Superior Court.
The settlement must still be approved by a judge.
The lawsuit was originally filed nearly a year ago, on Friday December 29, 2023. In it, Abdul alleged that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in an elevator during one of the early seasons of American Idol.
She claimed that the British-born TV executive shoved her against a wall and groped her breast and genitals, and shoved his tongue down her throat.
According to the suit, Abdul tried to push him away then ran to her room when the elevator door opened.
She also alleged that, years later, Lythgoe invited her to his home for dinner while she was working as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance.
Thinking it would be a professional encounter, Abdul accepted. However, the suit said that Lythgoe forced himself on top of her while she was sitting on his sofa, told her they would make a “great power couple” and attempted to kiss her.
The lawsuit stated that Abdul once again pushed him away and fled the property.
It also accused Lythgoe of verbal harassment, bullying, and discrimination against Abdul, who claims she was paid less than the male judges on American Idol.
Abdul also claimed that she saw Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants in April 2015. She alleged that his behaviour was common knowledge in the TV industry, and that it was even parodied in a 2008 episode of MADtv.
Abdul signed non-disclosure agreements as part of her employment on both American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, preventing her from disclosing information deemed confidential or derogatory.
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She quit American Idol in 2009 after eight seasons, amid rumours of a pay dispute.
Lythgoe said at the time the suit was filed that he was “shocked and saddened” by the allegations, which he called “an appalling smear.”
Lythgoe stepped down from his role as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance in January, shortly after a second sexual assault lawsuit was brought against him by two former contestants of All-American Girl, an all-girl competition show for which Lythgoe was a producer.
Additional reporting by Associated Press
