Nigel Lythgoe isn’t going down without a fight.
The “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” producer says Paula Abdul’s claims of sexual assault against him are “false” and “deeply offensive,” and he plans to prove his innocence in court.
“To say that I am shocked and saddened by the allegations made against me by Paula Abdul is a wild understatement,” he told TMZ in a lengthy statement on Saturday.
“For more than two decades, Paula and I have interacted as dear — and entirely platonic — friends and colleagues.”
He continued, “Yesterday, however, out of the blue, 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.”
“While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue.”
“But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have,” he concluded.
Lythgoe didn’t elaborate on what he meant by “erratic behavior,” but it’s possible he’s referring to her alleged affair with former “American Idol” contestant Corey Clark from the mid-2000s, which she has always vehemently denied.
The legendary choreographer filed her lawsuit against Lythgoe on Friday, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by him on two different occasions.
She also claims that she was harassed by him, and a 2017 interview that has since resurfaced shows he once joked about wanting to “abuse” her.
The 61-year-old singer — who recently guest judged an episode of “Dancing With the Stars” — claims that during early seasons of “Idol,” Lythgoe sexually assaulted her in a hotel elevator while they were traveling for the show.
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“Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the court documents, which Page Six obtained, state.
“Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her. When the doors to the elevator for her door opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator and to her hotel room. Abdul quickly called one of her representatives in tears to inform them of the assault.”
Abdul claims a second incident happened while she worked alongside him as a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance” between 2015 and 2016.
She alleges that Lythgoe, now 74, invited her over to his home for dinner and she accepted as she believed it was a “professional invitation.”
“Toward the end of the evening, Lythgoe forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent ‘power couple,’” court documents state. “Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances and immediately left.”
Court documents further state that Abdul also allegedly witnessed Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants in 2015.
Abdul also alleges that Lythgoe “verbally insulted and belittled” her in a meeting before she officially signed on to judge “American Idol” in April 2002.
Throughout her eight season on the show, she also felt discriminated against.
The “Straight Up” singer further said she chose not to speak up about any of the allegations at the time over fear of retaliation from her former boss.
Abdul’s lawyer — managing partner Douglas L. Johnson of Johnson & Johnson LLP — further told Page Six, “Ms. Abdul should be commended for the immense courage required to take action against the type of abuse that was inflicted upon her.”
“Particularly when the alleged abuser is a figure so dominant in her profession.”
“It was clearly a difficult decision to make, but Ms. Abdul knows that she stands both in the shoes and on the shoulders of many other similarly situated survivors, and she is determined to see that justice is done.”
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