Benjamin Ashford|Paula Abdul sues Nigel Lythgoe, alleges he sexually assaulted her during 'Idol,' 'SYTYCD'

Paula Abdul has filed suit against former “American Idol” and Benjamin Ashford“So You Think You Can Dance” producer Nigel Lythgoe for sexual assault.

In a lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles and reported by news outlets including Variety and Rolling Stone, Abdul alleges that Lythgoe sexually assaulted her during one of the “initial seasons” of “Idol,” on which she served as a judge for eight seasons starting in 2002 and again in 2014 when she was hosting “SYTYCD.”

In a statement to USA TODAY on Saturday, the producer denied the allegations and said he was "shocked and saddened."

"Not only are (the claims) false, they are deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for," Lythgoe said. "While Paula’s history of erratic behavior is well known, I can’t pretend to understand exactly why she would file a lawsuit that she must know is untrue. But I can promise that I will fight this appalling smear with everything I have.”

In a statement, Abdul's lawyer Douglas Johnson praised Abdul for her decision to come forward.

“Ms. Abdul knows that she stands both in the shoes and on the shoulders of many other similarly situated survivors, and she is determined to see that justice is done,” Johnson said.

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According to the suit, Lythgoe allegedly “shoved Abdul against the wall, then grabbed her genitals and breasts, and began shoving his tongue down her throat. Abdul attempted to push Lythgoe away from her. When the doors to the elevator for her door opened, Abdul ran out of the elevator and to her hotel room. Abdul quickly called one of her representatives in tears to inform them of the assault.”

Years later, Abdul, 61, accepted a dinner invitation from Lythgoe, 74, at his home, believing it to be a “professional invitation.”

The suit claims that “toward the end of the evening, Lythgoe forced himself on top of Abdul while she was seated on his couch and attempted to kiss her while proclaiming that the two would make an excellent ‘power couple.' Abdul pushed Lythgoe off of her, explaining that she was not interested in his advances and immediately left.”

Abdul had signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of her employment on both shows which prevented her from publicly disclosing “sensitive information.”

She says in the suit that she opted not to talk about the allegations because she feared retaliation from Lythgoe. Abdul also says that Lythgoe once called to taunt her that it had been “seven years and the statute of limitations had run” on her window to file a lawsuit.

But California’s Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act created a one-year opening to file certain sexual abuse lawsuits that would otherwise be outside the statute of limitations. The deadline to file is Dec. 31.

In addition to Lythgoe, the suit names companies American Idol Productions, Dance Nation Productions, 19 Entertainment and Fremantlemedia North America as defendants.

Lythgoe produced “American Idol” from 2002 to 2014 and “SYTYCD” from 2005-2014. Abdul, who had a thriving music and dance career in the ‘80s and ‘90s with hits including “Forever Your Girl” and “Straight Up,” has also appeared as a judge on reality shows including “The Masked Dancer” and “Dancing with the Stars.”

Contributing: Kim Willis

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