Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe.Photo:Leon Bennett/Getty; Kevin Winter/Getty
Leon Bennett/Getty; Kevin Winter/Getty
Paula Abdulhas addressedNigel Lythgoe’s formal response to hersexual assault allegationsagainst him.
On Dec. 30, 2023, Abdul, 61, accused the longtimeSo You Think You Can Dancejudge of sexually assaulting her ontwo occasionswhen they both worked onAmerican Idolin the early 2000s andSYTYCDin 2015.
Claiming that the allegations have been the “worst form of character assassination” of Lythgoe and “pure fiction,” the filing called Abdul “a well-documented fabulist” who has a history of “telling wild stories that are untethered from reality.” The documents further alleged that Abdul used these stories to attract attention to herself and make her appear as a “victim of dreadful misfortune.”
Paula Abdul and Nigel Lythgoe.Mike Windle/Getty
Mike Windle/Getty
“Lythgoe did not harass, bully, or sexually abuse Abdul,” the filing continued before citing examples of Abdul’s emails and social media posts shared during the time of the alleged assaults as proof of how she “really felt about Lythgoe, her friend and colleague.”
The documents noted instances where Abdul addressed Lythgoe as “sweetheart” and wrote she was “forever grateful” for their friendship. In one email, the singer wrote “I love your guts!!!” while congratulating Lythgoe on a life event. In another instance, Abdul thanked Lythgoe for sending flowers and spending time with her on her birthday.
Nigel Lythgoe and Paula Abdul on ‘So You Think You Can Dance’.FOX Image Collection via Getty
FOX Image Collection via Getty
On Wednesday, Abdul’s lawyer Melissa Eubanks shared a statement with PEOPLE that called Lythgoe’s response to her client’s complaint an instance of “classic victim shaming.”
“Mr. Lythgoe fails to appreciate that he held a position of power over Ms. Abdul. He was a producer onAmerican IdolandSYTYCDand she was the talent,” she began. “He held the cards to her career in his hand and he knew it. It thus is no surprise that Ms. Abdul placated to his ego with positive messaging and seeming adoration. These are the defenses that many women like Ms. Abdul had to adopt to deal with men who abuse their power.”
The statement went on to claim that Lythgoe’s answer “cherry-picks” from years of message exchanges with Abdul in an effort to “discredit her claims.”
“What his selections fail to show are the numerous instances of overt sexual harassment he forced Ms. Abdul to tolerate,” she stated before noting examples from conversations that date back to 2014.
It concluded, “There are several instances of such verbal assaults against Ms. Abdul, which are evidence of the frequent abusive behavior that Ms. Abdul was subjected to during her time onAmerican IdolandSYTYCD.”
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Since Abdul’s initial allegations, more people have come forward withallegations regarding Lythgoe’s behavior. On Jan. 2, two contestants who competed on the 2003 all-female reality showAll American Girlfiled a lawsuit against Lythgoe accusing him of negligence, sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go torainn.org.
source: people.com
