Written in CULTURA on December 31, 2023 · 07:43 am
American singer, choreographer and dancer Paula Abdulformer judge of “American idol“, processed Nigel Lythgoe, the series' former executive producer, on charges of sexual assault. According to a new lawsuit she filed, the case occurred in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the reality show.
Documents in the case show that Lythgoe allegedly had illicit physical contact with Abdul in an elevator after a day of auditions for the show.
The singer also accuses the former producer of sexually abusing her after she left American Idol and became a judge on another of Lythgoe's competition shows.So you think you can dance“.
Douglas Johnson, Paula Abdul's lawyer, praised the artist for speaking publicly about the case in a statement released on Saturday (30).
“It was clearly a difficult decision, but Abdul knows she is in the shoes of many others who have gone through similar situations and is determined to ensure that justice is served,” Jhonson said.
What the defendant says
Lyghtgoe commented on the action saying:shocked and sadWhen he learned of Abdul's allegations, he considered him a “dear friend.”
“While Paula's history of erratic behavior is known, I cannot pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she knows to be untrue,” the former producer also said in a statement. “But I can promise that I will fight this terrible slander with all my might,” he assures.
The Grammy and Emmy Awardwinning singer served as a judge for the show's first eight seasons and left in 2009. In 2015, Abdul joined the judges of the show “So You Think You Can Dance,” appearing alongside Lythgoe.
She decided to file the lawsuit after California law changed allowing victims of sexual abuse to file lawsuits in cases that are considered timebarred.
The information comes from the news agency Associated Press