Two more women have come forward accusing Nigel Lythgoe of sexual assault, days after Paula Abdul sued the “So You Think You Can Dance” producer.
The latest allegations are part of a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court by two women, identified as former contestants Jane Doe KG and Jane Doe KN of the short-lived series “AAG,” who are believed to have is a reference to Lythgoe’s life. “Every American girl.”
The complaint, obtained Wednesday by The Times, was filed against John Roe NL, a pseudonym for Lythgoe, The Times confirmed. Other parties to the suit include Lythgoe’s production company, an unnamed New York corporation and 100 other unnamed people, and alleges negligence, sexual assault/battery, sexual harassment, gender-based violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The women accuse Lythgoe of making unwanted sexual advances and forcibly kissing them inside his Los Angeles home during filming of the competition show in 2003. The plaintiffs also allege that Lythgoe visited the all-female contestants’ dressing room and “ “He openly hit and groped.” KG, KN and other contestants and that the show’s employees, contractors and production representatives saw Lythgoe’s alleged behavior and failed to intervene or prevent potential further abuse. The complaint said the behavior “was openly accepted.”
Representatives for Lythgoe did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ requests for comment.
Lythgoe faces a separate lawsuit filed by Abdul, who alleges the producer sexually assaulted her twice while they worked together on his shows “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance.” The singer and dancer joined a growing list of accusers who have filed lawsuits under California’s Sexual Assault and Concealment Accountability Act, which allows survivors of sexual assault to file lawsuits beyond the usual statute of limitations.
The producer denied Abdul’s accusations, calling them “false” and “deeply offensive to me and everything I stand for.” He called her relationship with Abdul “completely platonic,” saying she was a friend and colleague of his, and vowed to “fight this egregious smear with everything I have.”
Other recent high-profile lawsuits filed under state law have leveled sexual assault allegations against Jermaine Jackson and former Recording Academy head Mike Greene. Aerosmith’s Sean “Diddy” Combs, Antonio “LA” Reid and Steven Tyler have been sued under a similar New York law.
Some questions have been raised about whether the latest lawsuit filed by “AAG” contestants will hold up in court. Their lawsuit was filed on Jan. 2, several days after the Dec. 31 deadline for one of the filing deadlines under the law, which was enacted in 2023 and extends through 2026, with filing deadlines depending of when the incidents supposedly occurred. . Additionally, the law requires that the survivor be 18 years old or older at the time of the alleged incident.
The new complaint lists Jane Doe KG’s birth year as 1997. A person close to the matter who was not authorized to discuss it publicly confirmed to The Times that her correct birth year is 1979, which would make her about 24 years old at the time. the time of the alleged crime. incident. The person also said that because the filing deadline fell on a holiday weekend, the complaint was filed the day after court opened.
According to the complaint, when filming on “AAG” wrapped in May 2003, the show’s contestants, crew and executives attended a farewell party. KG, a resident of Comal County, Texas, and his fellow contestant KN, a resident of Travis County, Texas, were at the party, along with NL.
After the party, as the cast and crew began heading to the show’s studio, Lythgoe allegedly insisted that KN return to him after “showing an unusual interest” in her, and KG joined them in the car “to make sure your colleague wasn’t out.” left alone.” Other actors and crew saw the couple join Lythgoe in her personal car, according to the lawsuit.
Instead of driving back to the studio, according to the complaint, NL drove the two women to his home in Los Angeles, where he repeatedly made unwanted sexual advances. On one occasion, she allegedly lifted her sweater over KG’s head, wrapped him in her sweater, and attempted to kiss her and pushed her body against his. She rejected the advance and tried to free herself from it. That same night, he allegedly pinned KN against a grand piano and pressed her body against his, forcing his mouth and tongue toward her “despite her numerous statements telling him not to do so and attempts to move her face away from him.” yours”.
“When plaintiff KG saw this and protested, defendant NL finally gave up,” the lawsuit says. The complaint seeks to have damages determined in a trial.
Meanwhile, pressure is starting to mount for the companies that do business with Lythgoe, specifically Fox, which airs his show “So You Think You Can Dance.” The long-running dance competition was renewed for its eighteenth season in December, with Lythgoe returning as executive producer and judge. At least one petition, started by the anti-sexism advocacy group UltraViolet, emerged amid news of the second lawsuit, calling on Fox to drop Lythgoe. The petition, launched Wednesday, is directed at Allison Wallach, president of unscripted programming at Fox Entertainment.
“We cannot remain silent while Fox benefits from and promotes a known abuser,” the petition said.
Representatives for Fox Entertainment did not immediately respond to The Times’ requests for comment.
