Just a few hours later American idol producer and So you think you can dance creator and judge Nigel Lythgoe demanded that Paul Abdul's sexual assault complaint be dropped, a fourth accuser filed a complaint. Similar to the three previous complaints, including Abdul's, the plaintiff, identified as Jane Doe, accused Lythgoe of sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment and neglect, Deadline reports.
Last December, Abdul sued Lythgoe for repeatedly sexually assaulting her during their working relationship.. Abdul was a judge on American idol from 2002 to 2009 and So you think you can dance from 2013 to 2016, and Lythgoe served as a judge on SYTYCD for 16 seasons. Abdul claims the first incident occurred during American idolThe “initial” seasons of . She alleges the second incident happened when she went to Lythgoe to discuss business opportunities. During the meeting, Abdul claims, Lythgoe tried to force himself on her. Ms. Abdul's legal representation did not immediately respond to The AV Clubrequest for comment.
On January 2, two candidates from the reality TV game All American Girl, which Lythgoe produced and directed, sued Lythgoe for sexual assault, battery and gender-based violence. Three days later, he announced his departure from So you think you can dance.
In a new filing released by Lythgoe, the producer denies Abdul's allegations, accusing his former colleague of abusing the “legal process for her own personal and selfish gains.” Lythgoe pledged to “promote the spreading of the truth”, saying he is an “innocent victim of Abdul’s appalling lies”. It was Lythgoe, according to the suit, who “fought” to include Abdul in the group. American idol And So you think you can dance“, despite what he calls “the industry's hesitation” to work with her due to her alleged “erratic drug-fueled behavior.”
Lythgoe accuses Abdul of a history of fabrication, calling her “a well-documented fabulist, with a long history of telling wild stories that are unrelated to reality and are primarily designed to attract attention and make Abdul appear like the victim of a terrible misfortune. » He cites a 1992 television interview in which Abdul claimed to have survived a plane crash with her then-husband, Emilio Estevez, of which no record exists.
Following the publication of Lythgoe's rebuttal, a fourth woman, also identified as Jane Doe, filed suit against the producer over an incident that occurred in 2018. Like the other lawsuits, Doe claims that Lythgoe “suddenly imposed himself” to her. The suit states:
After a few minutes of professional speech, Lythgoe suddenly forced the complainant against the exterior wall of the property by driving his knee between her legs, then began licking the complainant's neck, touching her genitals and ganging her all over . The plaintiff tried to pull Lythgoe away from her, but he pinned her against the wall so she could not move. Lythgoe continued to grope and tried to kiss the complainant.
Once the plaintiff was able to free herself from Lythgoe, she immediately left the property and left. However, the complainant was so shaken by the attack that she had to park her car just a block from Lythgoe's residence. The plaintiff then sat in her car, shaking and crying for approximately thirty minutes before she was able to drive the rest of the way home.
Representatives for Mr. Lythgoe did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest lawsuit.