Television star Paula Abdul filed a lawsuit against Nigel Lythgoe in December 2023, contending that he s*xually and physically assaulted her multiple times. However, per People Magazine, the latter has vehemently refuted the claims.
As seen in documents filed on October 15 and produced evidence, alleged texts and emails indicate a close kin between the two during the purported instances. One such email Abdul allegedly sent to Lythgoe on June 9, 2015, reads,
"Yippee!!! I’m so 'eff-ing' happy & thrilled for you!!!! Way to go, sweetheart! You are so deserved! Mazel Tov... I love your guts!!! xo P."
Nigel Lythgoe dubs Paula Abdul's accusations "false, despicable, intolerable, and life-changing"
Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe worked together on the sets of American Idol, and So You Think You Can Dance, where the latter served as an executive producer and co-judge, respectively. According to the court documents People Magazine acquired, Lythgoe dubbed Abdul's claims “appalling lies.”
In speaking with US Media, he claimed that the relationship between the two had always been of "dear - and entirely platonic - friends and colleagues." He continued,
"I learned of these claims in the press and I want to be clear: not only are they false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for. I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have."
Abdul contends that one of the first instances of assault and gender-based violence took place "some unidentified date during 'one of American Idol’s initial seasons,' (in the early 2000s) and again [at] or around the time [she] was working on So You Think You Can Dance (in the 2015/2016 time period)." Abdul further alleged that she witnessed her assistant supposedly being assaulted by Lythgoe in April 2015.
However, Nigel Lythgoe retorted, noting that the claims were "vague both as to the timing of the alleged assault and as to the details of the supposed incident" and failed to "form the basis of any of her claims against Lythgoe."
The lawsuit also alleges that Lythgoe subjected Abdul to abuse when the two shared an elevator during regional auditions for the show. However, per BBC, Abdul fled as soon as the doors opened.
In his defense, Nigel Lythgoe produced several purported texts and emails the two shared "during and after the time she now alleges the abuse occurred," indicating that she, on many occasions, "expressed her positive feelings toward Lythgoe." The document iterated,
"Abdul expressed how she really felt about Lythgoe, her friend and colleague, both during periods of time when the two worked together and during periods of time when they did not. It is unthinkable that Abdul would even tolerate Lythgoe’s physical proximity, let alone send him adoring messages and s*xually provocative jokes, if her allegations were true – which, clearly, they are not."
In another email Abdul sent to Nigel Lythgoe on June 20, 2014, she allegedly penned:
"Hi Nigel, Thank you for the beautiful flowers - they were exquisite! But, I have to say the kicker was the birthday card last night. I am still howling! I also wanted to let you know how happy I was to have you and Andrea join me on my special day!"
The email continued,
"I know you had a previous commitment and was very touched that you were able to move things around to celebrate with me. I truly appreciate our friendship and am looking forward to launching our project. Xo Xo Paula."
Lythgoe maintains his innocence, alleging that Abdul's claims are nothing but a smear campaign. The documents counter-accuse Paula of having a “tactical campaign” of “defaming falsehoods” that “weaponize the climate against” him. The document also dubs "Abdul’s accusations against Lythgoe" as "false, despicable, intolerable, and life-changing."
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Nigel Lythgoe's response also referred to Abdul's history of substance abuse and her inclinations for telling stories with ostensibly no proof, such as when she claimed to have survived a plane crash in 1992. Per the document, Abdul is “a pathological liar and attention seeker.”
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