In a new filing responding to sexual assault allegations, Nigel Lythgoe describes Paula Abdul as drug-addled and a “fabulist”
Nigel Lythgoe has filed a forceful response to Paula Abdul’s lawsuit, in which she alleges he sexually assaulted her on two occasions. In documents submitted Friday to the L.A. Superior Court and reported by Variety, Lythgoe denies the allegations and characterizes them as “false, despicable, intolerable and life-changing,” calling them the “worst form of character assassination.”
Lythgoe’s filing seeks dismissal of Abdul’s complaint with prejudice and includes a sharp attack on her credibility. He labels her a “well-documented fabulist” and asserts that she has a history of telling embellished or attention-seeking stories that are “untethered from reality” and cast her as a victim.
As part of his defense, Lythgoe submitted a range of messages and social posts he says demonstrate a friendly, even affectionate relationship between the two for years after the incidents Abdul describes. The filing cites emails and social media interactions, including messages thanking Lythgoe for gifts and expressing appreciation for their friendship, and public tweets from Abdul directed at Lythgoe’s @dizzyfeet account that go back to 2009 and continue through 2015 when they were both working on So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD).
The filing includes what Lythgoe describes as “friendly” and “loving” messages from Abdul
Selected items included in the filing are an email dated Sept. 12, 2014, where Abdul writes, in part: “Hi sweetheart — thank you for this lovely ‘gift.’ Please forgive me for not calling yesterday. Forever grateful to have you in my life! Love, love LOVE YOU! XO P.” Another, from June 20, 2014, thanks him for flowers and refers to a humorous birthday card while expressing enthusiasm about a project they were planning.
Lythgoe also attached screenshots of public tweets showing Abdul and himself together, with warm captions such as “You know the crew loves you, too!! :)) xoxoP” and a Thanksgiving message: “I’m grateful that I met you too, Nigel! Have a very Happy Thanksgiving! xoxoP.” He argues that such exchanges are inconsistent with the behavior of someone who had recently been sexually assaulted by him.
Observers note that these communications date from years when the two were colleagues and Lythgoe was effectively Abdul’s superior. Allegations of sexual abuse involving a power imbalance can be complex: victims may not immediately identify or disclose abuse, and relationships between an accused and accuser can include mixed or seemingly affectionate interactions. The filing does not, however, include any recent correspondence that would directly contradict Abdul’s account.
Lythgoe claims Abdul was “drug-addled” and questions her story about surviving a 1992 plane crash
Beyond the messages, Lythgoe’s filing attacks Abdul’s reputation and recounts instances he says demonstrate erratic behavior and substance issues. He says he advocated for hiring Abdul for American Idol and SYTYCD despite resistance from other executives who were allegedly concerned about her conduct. The filing alleges that, at her worst, Abdul slurred her words, became unintelligible, drooled, passed out in audition rooms and needed to be carried out on more than one occasion.
The filing also challenges Abdul’s account of injuring her back in a 1992 plane crash, noting Lythgoe’s claim that there are no records of such an incident and pointing to inconsistencies in how Abdul has described the event in past interviews. These assertions are presented to undermine her overall credibility.
Paula Abdul describes two incidents in which she claims Nigel Lythgoe sexually assaulted her
In her lawsuit, Abdul details two separate incidents she says constitute sexual assault. She alleges that during the early seasons of American Idol, Lythgoe grabbed her breasts and genitals and attempted to kiss her while the production crew was traveling to audition sites. She also alleges that in 2015, after signing a contract to return as a judge on SYTYCD, Lythgoe forced himself on her while she was seated on a couch and attempted to kiss her. Abdul further claims she witnessed Lythgoe groping one of her assistants in 2015.
After Abdul filed suit, three more women filed lawsuits alleging Lythgoe sexually assaulted them
Following Abdul’s filing, additional civil suits were brought alleging sexual assault by Lythgoe. Two anonymous plaintiffs, identified as Jane Doe K.G. and Jane Doe K.N., filed a complaint asserting sexual assault, sexual battery, sexual harassment and negligence related to an incident they allege occurred in May 2003 after a reality show finale party. The complaint, which uses the pseudonym John Roe N.L. for the defendant, has been reported to identify the defendant as Nigel Lythgoe. Those plaintiffs seek a jury trial and allege the women were taken to a Los Angeles residence where unwanted advances occurred.
A third lawsuit, filed in mid-February in Los Angeles Superior Court, describes an alleged incident in 2016. According to that complaint, the accuser met Lythgoe at a Beverly Hills hotel; he then insisted on driving her home. The suit alleges that during the drive Lythgoe groped and kissed the woman for at least ten minutes, pushed his hand under her skirt and penetrated her genitals, and that the assault stopped only when his driver arrived at the woman’s apartment after taking an unexpectedly long route.
All of the cases are moving through the civil courts, and Lythgoe’s current filing aims to dismiss Abdul’s complaint entirely. The disputes raise questions about workplace power dynamics, the challenges of assessing credibility, and how past public interactions factor into legal claims. As these matters progress, the courts will weigh the evidence presented by both sides.