Paula Abdul accuses 'American Idol' producer Lythgoe of assault, harassment
Entertainment
The complaint outlines two separate incidents
(Web Desk) - Paula Abdul, Grammy-winning entertainer and former judge on “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” is suing the executive producer of those programs, Nigel Lythgoe, accusing him of sexual assault and harassment along with gender violence and negligence.
The complaint, which was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court and obtained by CNN on Saturday, outlines two separate incidents that Abdul alleges occurred in the early 2000s and in 2015, respectively.
According to the complaint, Abdul alleges “Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall” of an elevator and proceeded to grope her and kiss her while the pair were traveling for regional auditions for “American Idol” in the first incident.
“Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her and let him know that his behavior was not acceptable,” the complaint reads.
In the second incident, Abdul alleges that Lythgoe “forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her” when the entertainer was at a business dinner at Lythgoe’s home in 2015.
She again rejected his attempts, explaining that she “was not interested in his advances,” having believed that the meeting at his house was of a purely professional nature, according to the complaint.
Abdul did not report either incident at the time because she feared professional retaliation, according to her complaint. She also claims to have witnessed Lythgoe assaulting her assistant in a separate incident in 2015.
