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Tv producer Nigel Lythgoe has denied allegations made by Paula Abdul in a latest lawsuit that accuses him of sexually assaulting the singer twice whereas working collectively on his TV reveals.
“To say that I’m shocked and saddened by the allegations made towards me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,” the “American Idol” and “So You Suppose You Can Dance” govt producer mentioned Sunday in a press release to E! Information.
“For greater than 20 years, Paula and I’ve interacted as pricey — and fully platonic — associates and colleagues,” he continued. “Yesterday, nonetheless, out of the blue, I discovered of those claims within the press and I wish to be clear: not solely are they false, they’re deeply offensive to me and to every part I stand for.”
Lythgoe went on to state that he plans to “struggle this appalling smear with every part I’ve.”
Representatives for the producer didn’t instantly reply Tuesday to The Instances’ requests for remark.
Abdul’s lawsuit, which was filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket, alleged that her boss and on-air co-star Lythgoe sexually assaulted her twice throughout her tenure on his reveals. Abdul appeared as a decide on “American Idol” from 2002 to 2009 and on the dance competitors “So You Suppose You Can Dance” from 2015 to 2016.
In accordance with the go well with, Lythgoe, 74, first assaulted Abdul, 61, in a resort elevator within the 2000s whereas they had been on the street filming an early season of “American Idol.” Abdul alleged that in the future after regional auditions, the manager producer “shoved her towards the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and started shoving his tongue down her throat” earlier than she ran to her resort room and reported the incident to her representatives.
Lythgoe allegedly assaulted Abdul once more in 2015 when she judged Season 12 of “So You Suppose You Can Dance.” On the time, Lythgoe, who co-created and govt produced the present, additionally served on the judges panel alongside Abdul. She alleged that she was invited to what she believed was knowledgeable dinner at Lythgoe’s house, just for Lythgoe to power himself on her and try to kiss her as she sat on his sofa earlier than she pushed him off and fled.
In accordance with the lawsuit, Abdul feared skilled retaliation or blackballing if she spoke out towards Lythgoe, who was then president of the tv division of “American Idol” and “So You Suppose You Can Dance” producer 19 Leisure Inc.
The “Straight Up” and “Opposites Appeal to” hitmaker additionally alleged that she witnessed Lythgoe grope her assistant with out her consent throughout filming of “So You Suppose You Can Dance” in 2015.
She additionally claimed that her contracts on the reveals barred her from disclosing confidential or derogatory details about different judges, hosts or manufacturing workers, the lawsuit mentioned. Abdul alleged that Lythgoe, different executives and representatives of the present’s producers had subjected her to “taunts, bullying, humiliation and harassment,” together with deceptive edits of footage of Abdul that depicted her as “inept.”
The lawsuit names Lythgoe and manufacturing corporations 19 Leisure, FremantleMedia North America, American Idol Productions and Dance Nation Productions as defendants. It lists sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and negligence among the many allegations.
Abdul’s lawsuit was filed underneath this yr’s Sexual Abuse and Cowl Up Accountability Act, which permits restricted home windows for submitting sure civil sexual abuse claims past the same old statute of limitations. Different latest high-profile lawsuits filed underneath the act have levied sexual assault allegations towards Jermaine Jackson and former Recording Academy chief Mike Greene. Sean “Diddy” Combs, Antonio “L.A.” Reid and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler have been sued underneath the same New York regulation.
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