Nigel Lythgoe has been hit with another sexual assault lawsuit just as he filed his official response denying Paula Abdul's explosive allegations made in her December case.
The latest lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court by the same attorneys representing the “Opposites Attract” singer and another Lythgoe accuser in a pending lawsuit, alleges that the embattled “So You Think You Can Dance” producer ” and “American Idol” sexually assaulted a longtime professional colleague at his home in Bel-Air during a business meeting in 2018.
The redacted complaint, posted on law firm Johnson & Johnson LLP's website, accuses the 74-year-old producer of sexual assault and battery, gender-based violence, sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The accuser, identified anonymously as Jane Doe, alleges that Lythgoe “forced Jane Doe against an exterior wall of the property and then [started] licking his neck, touching his genitals and [groping] her everywhere.”
“Jane Doe did not consent to this attack and left Mr. Lythgoe's residence in such a state of shock that she was unable to drive home for nearly thirty minutes,” the law firm said.
The plaintiff, bringing the total number of Lythgoe's accusers to date to five, is seeking various unspecified damages in the case and joins a growing list of women alleging misconduct by Lythgoe.
Lythgoe's representatives had no comment on the 2018 allegations when contacted by The Times on Wednesday. However, they have previously denied Abdul's claims and those of three other women who filed lawsuits against Lythgoe. (Two former contestants of a short-lived series came forward in January and another woman came forward with allegations from 2016 in February).
Meanwhile, Lythgoe's attorney, Marina Z. Beck, on Tuesday filed the producer's official response to Abdul's lawsuit, which accused him of sexually assaulting Abdul twice during her time on his shows. The Grammy-winning former “Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” judge also alleged that she suffered bullying, harassment and gender pay discrimination while serving as a prominent public face of the hit reality shows.
“Sexual assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment and gender-based violence are despicable, intolerable and life-changing. Those legally responsible for such abuses should be held accountable,” according to Lythgoe's response, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court and obtained Wednesday by The Times.
“False accusations of sexual assault, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and gender-based violence are also despicable, intolerable, and life-changing. Abdul's accusations against Lythgoe are false, despicable, intolerable and life-changing. “These accusations are the worst form of defamation of Lythgoe,” his lawyers said.
His lawyer called Abdul a “well-documented fabulist,” alleging that his allegations about Lythgoe “are pure fiction” being used “as a ploy to gain long-lost relevance and fame and/or to obtain unjustified profits before his announced 'Magical Summer'. 'Tour 2024'.
“With fabricated accusations dating back more than 20 years, while leaning on those the system was created to protect, Abdul has abused the legal process for his own personal and selfish benefits. This is also intolerable. “Lythgoe will continue to promote the spread of the truth, confirming that Abdul is not a victim of sexual assault by Lythgoe, but rather that it is Lythgoe who has been the victim of Abdul's egregious lies,” the response read.
In January, Fox removed Lythgoe from “So You Think You Can Dance” ahead of season 18 of the dance competition and replaced him with “Dance Moms” alum Jojo Siwa.
Beck described Lythgoe and Abdul as lifelong friends who spent time with each other's families and frequented events together while collaborating on projects. Citing Abdul's “positive feelings” toward Lythgoe, the lawyers included copies of “adoring messages and comments” made in text messages and social media posts that “underscore the frivolity and falsehood of his claim.”
“It is unthinkable that Abdul would even tolerate physical proximity to Lythgoe, much less send him adoring messages and sexually provocative jokes if his allegations were true, which they clearly are not,” the response read.
Additionally, the attorney argued that the allegations made in Abdul's complaint “lack specificity as to when, where and how any alleged abuse occurred and as to who received notification” and that they “stretch credulity.” Beck maintains that Lythgoe advocated and fought for Abdul to be included on “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” despite “industry hesitancy to work with Abdul, in part due to the reputation he had.” developed because of his drug-fueled work. “erratic behavior.”
Beck contends that Abdul fails to state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against Lythgoe, that his causes of action are barred by the statute of limitations and cannot be revived, and that his claims are barred under the equitable Doctrine of Laches (meaning that she cannot file her claim due to an unreasonable delay in filing it), among various other legal defenses.
Lythgoe asks that Abdul “accept nothing” through his complaint, that it be dismissed in its entirety with prejudice, and that Lythgoe recover his legal fees, as well as any additional relief that the court “deems just and appropriate.”
A spokesman for Abdul did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times' request for comment.
As previously reported, Abdul's lawsuit was filed under California's Sexual Assault and Concealment Accountability Act, which allows survivors of sexual assault to file lawsuits beyond the usual statute of limitations.
Johnson & Johnson LLP, the law firm representing Abdul and the women who reported abuse in 2016 and 2018, said Wednesday that Lythgoe's response to Abdul's complaint “is classic victim-shaming.”
“Mr. Lythgoe does not realize that he was in a position of power over Ms. Abdul,” attorney Melissa Eubanks said in a statement to the Times. “He was a producer on 'American Idol' and 'SYTYCD' and she was the talent She held the cards of her career and knew it. Therefore, it is not surprising that Ms. Abdul placated her ego with positive messages and apparent adoration. These are the defenses that many women like Ms. Abdul had to adopt to stand up to men who abuse their power.”
Eubanks accused Lythgoe's filing of cherry-picking years of messages with Abdul to try to discredit her claims.
“[W]What their selections do not show are the numerous instances of overt sexual harassment that Ms. Abdul was forced to tolerate,” the statement said, citing three alleged exchanges from 2014 that were sexual and that Eubanks described as “verbal assaults” on Abdul.
