previous 'American Idol' Judge Paula Abdul A lawsuit was filed against 'So you think you can dance' president Nigel Lythgoe Charged with sexual assault.
According to legal documents Obtained by explosionThe “Straight Up” singer claims Nigel Lythgoe “verbally isolated and belittled her” on several occasions, before he “sexually assaulted” her during one of the early seasons of “American Idol.”
In the filing, the singer claims it all started around early 2001 when FOX contacted Paula Abdul's manager about an opportunity for Abdul to appear as a judge on “Pop Idol,” the soon-to-be-aired American version. From the British TV singing competition programme.
When contacted by Fox, Abdul had just come off a six-year hiatus, which she took due to injuries she sustained in an accident. Because she needed to return, Abdul was “intrigued by this opportunity,” the documents state.
Nigel Lithgow is accused of assaulting and harassing Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul then met with the show's executives and producers, where she claimed she was “verbally insulted and belittled by… [Nigel] Lythgoe,” who was one of the executive producers of the competition show “Pop Idol.”
In the suit, Abdul claims that Lithgow told her “she was a celebrity and the contestants on the show probably wouldn't know her.”
Despite Lythgoe's discriminatory comments, Abdul claims that producers and other executives said “she was exactly what they were looking for,” but the singer left the meeting “with strong reservations about appearing on the show and communicated such concerns to her representatives.”
At the end of the day, Abdul and her team decided to put Lithgow's comments aside and take a chance on the show, hoping his actions were a “one-off.”
Paula Abdul accuses Nigel Lithgow of sexual assault
In the new lawsuit, obtained by The Blast, Abdul claims that “during one of the initial seasons of American Idol, while she was on her way to regional auditions for the show, Lythgoe sexually assaulted her.
The documents continue: “One evening, after the day's tests, Lithgow and Abdul entered the elevator of the hotel in which they were staying. Upon entering the elevator, Lithgow pushed Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving Abdul with her tongue down her throat. Abdul tried to push Lithgow “Away from her. When the elevator doors opened on her floor, Abdul ran from the elevator to her hotel room. Abdul quickly called one of her representatives in tears to inform them of the attack.”
On a second occasion, Paula claims that she was assaulted while attending a dinner party at the home of the “American Idol” president.
During dinner, she said Lithgow forced himself on her while she was sitting on his couch and “tried to kiss her” while declaring that the two would make an excellent “power couple.”
Abdul “pushed him away, made it clear she was not interested in his advances, and immediately left,” the letter said.
Again, she says reporting the incident was delayed because of the potential implications for her job and career.
Shockingly, she claims that she is not the only one who has had to deal with this behavior. She claims in the lawsuit that she witnessed him sexually assaulting one of her aides.
Paula Abdul claims Nigel Lithgow discriminated against her
As you know, Paula Abdul's participation in “American Idol” as a judge on the show was a huge success, attracting viewers among viewers for several seasons. In fact, “during her tenure on the show, which spanned eight seasons from 2002 to 2009, the show's viewership and ratings skyrocketed, reaching a peak between seasons five and eight. Interestingly, ratings and viewership began to decline immediately after her departure Abdul. From the show,” the documents say.
It wasn't long before Abdul realized that Lithgow's comments and assault were not a “one-time” thing as the documents state:
“Throughout her time on American Idol, Abdul was not only discriminated against in terms of compensation and benefits compared to one of the show's male judges and hosts (she made almost pennies on the dollar than one of her male counterparts did), but she was the target of constant ridicule, bullying and humiliation. and harassment of Lythgoe and other executives, agents, employees and/or representatives of the show’s producers, 19 Entertainment and Fremantle.”
Abdul went on to provide an example in her lawsuit, saying that “show producers often edited or played misleading footage of Abdul that made her appear to the television audience as if she was incompetent, which was not true.” The docs also state that this was happening while producers knew she was undergoing multiple spinal surgeries during her time on the show.
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