Pop singer and choreographer Paula Abdul, who famously served as one of the original judges on “American Idol,” filed a lawsuit on December 29, 2023, against the show’s former executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe, and the show’s production companies, 19 Entertainment and FremantleMedia North America.
According to court documents obtained by outlets including TMZ and Rolling Stone, Abdul is suing for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, gender violence, and negligence that occurred on “Idol” and when she was a judge on “So You Think You Can Dance.”
Here’s what you need to know:
Paula Abdul Sues Over Sexual Harassment & Wage Disparities on ‘American Idol’
GettyRandy Jackson, Nigel Lythgoe, Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul on FOX’s “American Idol” in 2005
In her lawsuit, Abdul alleged that Lythgoe first sexually assaulted her during one of the early seasons of “American Idol,” which first aired in 2002. According to Rolling Stone, the suit alleged it happened when Abdul and Lythgoe were both traveling to attend auditions and he sexually assaulted her in a hotel elevator.
“Lythgoe shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat,” the lawsuit alleged. “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.”
According to Variety, Abdul also accused Lythgoe of verbal harassment and bullying, and alleged that she was discriminated against and paid less than than male judges Randy Jackson and Simon Cowell on “American Idol.”
She also claimed that the show was edited in a “misleading way to make her appear inept,” a frustration she has brought up in media interviews before. In June 2023, for instance, she said on the “Inside of You” podcast that she “couldn’t believe” when the show edited out comments she made to defend a female contestant that Cowell had disparaged.
Abdul appeared as a judge on the show for eight seasons, but left in 2009 when contract negotiations fell apart, according to The New York Times. The outlet reported at the time that Abdul had hoped for a significant raise from her $2 million salary, given that her male counterparts were paid so much more. Host Ryan Seacrest had recently signed with 19 Entertainment for $10 million a year, per the Times, and Cowell was reportedly earning $30 million a year from “Idol.”
Lawsuit States Paula Abdul Also Experienced & Witnessed Sexual Assaults on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’
GettyPaula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe at FOX’s post-Emmy party in September 2013.
The second assault outlined in Abdul’s lawsuit, according to Rolling Stone, occurred in 2014 when she was part of the judging panel alongside Lythgoe for another FOX competition series, “So You Think You Can Dance.” Abdul said she she agreed to attend a dinner at his home, thinking 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,’” the suit alleged. “Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances and immediately left.”
Additionally, Abdul said that she witnessed Lythgoe sexually assault one of her assistants on the show’s set in April 2015, claiming that he “approached Abdul and April from behind pressed himself up against April and began to grope her. April did not consent.”
TMZ reported that Abdul said Lythgoe “taunted” her by later calling to say they should celebrate that it had been “7 years and the statute of limitations had run.”
The lawsuit did address Abdul’s decision to stay quiet about her experiences until now.
According to Variety, the suit stated, “For years, Abdul has remained silent about the sexual assaults and harassment she experienced on account of Lythgoe due to fear of speaking out against one of the most well-known producers of television competition shows who could easily break her career as a television personality and of being ostracized and blackballed by an industry that had a pattern of protecting powerful men and silencing survivors of sexual assault and harassment.”
Abdul had also signed non-disclosure agreements as part of her employment on both shows, which kept her from disclosing any confidential or derogatory details about either program.
Variety reported that Abdul was able to file her suit under California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, “which created a one-year window to file certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations,” with a filing deadline of December 31.
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